


Closing rank

by dont_hate_me01



Category: NCIS, NCIS AU - Fandom
Genre: Established Relationship, Language, M/M, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-17
Updated: 2017-12-17
Packaged: 2019-02-16 01:50:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 30,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13044024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dont_hate_me01/pseuds/dont_hate_me01
Summary: After an attempt on Director Vance's life, there's only one safe place for him to be.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [geminiangel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/geminiangel/gifts).



> **AN 1:** To,  
> [geminiangel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/geminiangel), I hope that you will like this piece of fiction I've written for you. May you have a wonderful Christmas!
> 
>  **AN 2:** To [Musichick2004](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Musichick2004), who did the beta work, thank you so much for helping me out and getting this fic in shape.
> 
>  **AN 3:** This fic is slightly AU and does not follow NCIS and the happenings there to the letter. Just go with the flow and I hope everyone will enjoy it.

**Chapter 1**

**Director of NCIS Residence**

“Talk to me, DiNozzo,” Gibbs barked as he stepped into the foyer and saw the damage done by the drive by shooter for the first time.

“Unknown number of assailants in at least three dark, unmarked vehicles drove by and opened fire at the Director’s home at around 19:50 this evening. Jared and Kayla are spending the weekend with their maternal grandparents. I’ve already dispatched agents to the home to make sure they are safe.”

“Leon?” Gibbs looked around. All of the front rooms were basically destroyed. He can only imagine Leon’s state of mind after this. The first time when Jackie died was bad enough, but this? He wouldn’t be surprised if Leon finally placed this house in the market and moved away.

“Being treated by the EMTs in his study.” Tony indicated with his head.

“Bad?”

Tony shook his head. “Several cuts from flying pieces of glass, luckily nothing serious. He’s really shook up.”

“Get me answers.” Gibbs moved deeper into the room. He could hear voices coming from the room, he knew to be Leon’s study.

He entered the room and found Leon seated on the couch. An EMT knelt in front of him, busy cleaning a wound on the director’s chest. “A bit of remodeling, Leon?”

Leon looked up. He was ash gray. “Don’t think it worked out.”

Gibbs shook his head. “What can you tell me?”

“Not much. Came home around nineteen-hundred, made myself something to eat and was about to retire to here to do some work when all hell brokeloose. I didn’t even have an opportunity to see what was going on before they sped off again.”

“When was the last time a threat profile assessment was done for you?” Gibbs leaned against the doorway.

“Just last week. It came back clean.” Leon said, perplexed.

“Anything new that came in the past couple of days?” Gibbs kept the questions vague for now, but he knew Leon would know what he referred to.

A shook of the head gave him the answer he not necessarily wanted to hear. The EMT finished up and left the room. The two bodyguards that were with them in the room left when Gibbs indicated for them to step outside. He closed the door behind them. “You all right, Leon?”

Leon lowered his head in his hands. “The only thing I could think of the whole time was that it couldn’t be happening again. I kept on having flashbacks of _that_ night, Gibbs. I kept on seeing Jackie die right in front of my eyes, and there was nothing I could do about it.”

Gibbs didn’t know what to say. Normally he wasn’t big on words, but something like this – that feeling never went away. He placed his hand on the other man’s shoulder and squeezed it once. “SecNav already received word on what happened. I’ve arranged for your team to take you back to HQ, while we process the scene. I’ll come and take your official statement as soon as I can.”

Leon nodded. “What about the FBI?” It was standard procedure for the FBI to head any investigation where there was an attack on a federal agent.

“Told SecNav to make sure they keep out of my hair and my case.” Gibbs responded with a growl. “I will not let Fornell and his cronies mess this up.” He opened the door to the study again. “I’ll see you later.” He exited the room without giving the director a chance to respond.

Leon sighed. He looked on as his security detail stepped into the room. “Let me grab some stuff and then we can head out to HQ. I’m sorry to inform you gentleman, but it seems like this will be a very long night.”

**///\\\\\///\\\\\///\\\\\**

**NCIS HQ: 6 hours later**

Tony couldn’t bother to cover his mouth as yet another yawn escaped. It was 02:00 in the morning and he was dead on his feet. They were all dead on their feet. He looked over to where McGoo was slumped over his desk. His face pressed into his keyboard, fast asleep. For a moment he wondered if he should take a picture, but was too tired. Instead, he leaned back in his own chair and closed his eyes. Just for five minutes.

Gibbs rounded the corner and his first instinct was to shout, but knew it wouldn’t be fair. Tim and Tony had pulled their weight and had done everything in their power to get a possible lead on who their mystery drive by shooters were. He’d just seen the Vance being whisked off by his security detail to one of their safe houses for the night. It was time they went home as well. But, Gibbs would always be a bastard. He walked around the desk and slammed his hand against Tony’s desk. It had the necessary effect as both agents leaped to their feet. McGee had keystroke imprints on his cheek and Tony had a bit of drool gathered in the corner of his mouth.

“Go home, get some sleep. Meet back here at zero eight hundred hours.” He turned to his own desk and took his seat. There were a few things he needed to check on before he could head home. Gibbs didn’t need to look up to know that McGee was already halfway to the elevator. He grunted in response as McGee said goodnight. He looked up as he heard no response from his second in command. Gibbs smiled.

His second in command, but more importantly, his life partner of almost three years was on his feet, but fast asleep. He always joked that Tony could sleep anywhere, any place, and here he had a perfect example of just that. Gibbs sighed as he got to his feet. He knew it would be too risky to send Tony home on his own and getting a cab at this time of the morning never worked. Gibbs switched off the lamp on his desk, grabbed his credentials and firearm, which he stowed in his go-bag and then swung the bag over his shoulder. “Come, Tony, let’s go home.” He gently touched Tony’s cheek and smiled again as his lover leaned into the touch.

“Come on, Tony, time to go home.” He nudged him gently and got a grunt for his trouble. Gibbs sighed as Tony remained asleep. It seemed like he would have to go in with the big guns. Knowing that no one else was around, Gibbs leaned in and placed a kiss on Tony’s lips. He placed gentle butterfly kisses all over Tony’s jaw and lips and smiled for the third time as Tony’s hand came up and pulled him close. “Time to go home, our bed is calling us, Tony.” He whispered the words against Tony’s skin as the younger man held him tight.

“Can we snuggle?” Tony’s muted voice sounded against his shoulder.

“Only if we get going right now.” It seemed to have been the correct words, as Tony’s eyes finally snapped open. He looked a bit owlish, but he managed to grab his own go-bag and credentials without letting go of Gibbs’ hand. Without looking back, Tony pulled Gibbs to the elevator.

Gibbs managed to reach out in time to unhook the strap of Tony’s bag from the chair, otherwise Tony would’ve taken his office chair home with them. He moved behind Tony and at the elevator, he pressed the down button and pushed Tony into the metal box. When the door closed behind them, Tony placed his head on Gibbs’ shoulder and rested it there. Gibbs patted Tony on the head and when they entered the parking lot he got Tony seated in the passenger side of the truck and then got in behind the steering wheel. It was time to go home. His gut kept on churning and knew the lull they experienced now wouldn’t last for long.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The moment the phone rang right next to his ear, Gibbs was wide awake. “Gibbs,” he answered even as he nudged at Tony to wake up. “Is he all right? Which hospital? Any casualties?” He pushed the sheet from his body and came to his feet. “Cordon off the scene. Make sure there’s protection on the Director. We’ll be there in twenty minutes.” Gibbs ended the call.

“Jethro?” Tony was awake and also on his feet.

“Safe house got hit.” He headed to the bathroom.

“What the fuck? Vance okay?”

“Took a round to the arm, they took him to the hospital. His protection detail seemed to be unharmed.” Gibbs brushed his teeth and moved to the side as Tony slipped in next to him to do the same. They got dressed in minutes and then headed out the door. Gibbs had promised to be at the scene in twenty minutes, they arrived in seventeen.

**///\\\\\///\\\\\///\\\\\**

“What do we have, Mike?” Tony asked as he stopped next to Agent Michael Balboa. The senior agent was busy taking photographs.

Mike shook his head. “Except for a fucked up situation, nothing much.” He indicated to the tire tracks. “One vehicle this time. From the tracks I would estimate a sedan, no, longer an SUV. Still a drive by. Shell casings collected looks to be the same as at the director’s home. I assume Abby will be able to tell us more.”

Tony turned on the spot, taking in the scene before him. Even though he was dead on his feet three hours ago, now he was wide awake. Things were not adding up. Two attempts on the director’s life. Both places should’ve been secured, the second one, not even known and yet, whoever was behind these attempts knew that this was a safe house, but more importantly, that this would be the safe house used for the director. “How the hell is that possible?” He asked the question to himself.

“DiNozzo!”

“Boss?” Tony asked as Gibbs called out to him.

“Get to the hospital. I’m placing you in charge of Vance’s security.”

Tony cocked his head, that wasn’t a good idea, but he kept his thoughts to himself. “You’re thinking this is an inside job?”

“You know I don’t believe in coincidence. Until we find out what the hell is going on here, I’m not taking any chances. Vance’s security detail will be relieved of duty when you get there. They were ordered by SecNav to report to HQ for questioning.” Gibbs took a step closer to Tony. “Take the truck, I’ll get a lift from Balboa. And watch your six, Tony.”

“On it, Boss.” Tony nodded. He wished he could reach out and give his partner a hug, but it would only cause make waves, and that is something that they didn’t need now.

Gibbs looked on as Tony picked up his gear and headed towards his truck. He kept watch until the truck disappeared around the corner. Gibbs looked over his shoulder as someone approached him from the side. “Agent Parsons, what do you have for me?” Gibbs didn’t really know the guy. He was still a probationary agent, and had a lot to learn, but he did his work and couldn’t be faulted on his work ethics.

“Found some footprints on the side of the house. Seems to be fresh. Also, some cigarette butts.”

Gibbs nodded and followed the junior agent. “Looks like someone kept watch here.” He looked around the area and noted that the tufts of grass were flattened. Gibbs crouched lower. “Get decent photos of this and bag all of the butts. Get it over to the lab, ASAP.” He got to his feet and walked away.

**///\\\\\///\\\\\///\\\\\**

**Bethesda Hospital**

Tony greeted the security detail each with a handshake. He knew each one by name and although, all of them will be scrutinized in the days to come, he was quite sure that they were not at fault. He had no idea what was going on, but knew that between Gibbs and the rest of their team they would find out what was going on.

“How is he?” Tony asked Lance Corporal Craig, the head of Vance’s personal security detachment. Tony could see a doctor checking out the director, but couldn’t hear anything.

“Pissed.” Craig sighed. “Like we all are.” He shook his head. “How the fuck is that possible, Agent DiNozzo? Our safe house locations are supposed to be top secret and yet, not even three hours later, there’s a second hit.”

Tony sighed. “You know I can’t discuss this with you, Craig, but we’ll get to the bottom of this. You and the rest of your team are to report at NCIS. I know IA has been notified as well, but Gibbs will keep them away from you for as long as possible.”

Craig nodded. “Received a call from my CO already. We’re ready to leave, just had to wait for you to arrive.” He reached out and shook Tony’s hand. “Keep him safe.”

“I will.” Tony looked on as Craig signaled for the rest of his team and the four men left. He remained alone outside the treatment room.

**///\\\\\///\\\\\///\\\\\**

**NCIS HQ ******

****  
** **

“What do you have, Abby?” Gibbs placed the Caff-pow on the counter next to where Abby was typing away.

“All of the cartridges picked up from the two scenes came from the same type of firearm. I’m still running ballistics on the bullets found to see if I can make a positive comparison to say if the shots were fired from the exact same gun.”

“Footage?”

Abby shook her head. “Since the electrical storm last week, all of the city’s cameras have been on the fritz and still not sorted out. So we’re flying blind there.”

“Damn it,” Gibbs slapped his hand against the counter. “Keep me up to date, Abby.” He gave her a kiss on the temple and stormed out. He would have to find a possible lead somewhere else.

**///\\\\\///\\\\\///\\\\\**

Gibbs looked on as the elevator door opened. He arched a brow as Vance walked towards him, with Tony right on his heels. “It’s not a good thing for you to be here, Leon.”

“And where else should I be, Gibbs? The last time I looked I was the Director of NCIS and this is my workplace.”

“And the last time I looked, there were two attempts made on your life, the second one responsible for that sling you’re wearing.”

Leon ignored the last comment. “And since it’s clear that our safe houses aren’t safe, I can’t think of a safer place than here. I also have several meetings that I need to attend. Two of them had already been pushed back due to the fact that I was at the hospital. I’ve wasted enough time already, Gibbs. It’s time that I get to work.”

Gibbs nodded. “What about Kayla and Jared?”

“I’ve sent my parents in law and the children to Jackie’s brother. He has a ranch in Texas. He’s also a cop. They’ll be safe there.”

“Good idea.” He looked at Tony who stood silently behind Leon. By the look on his face he was sure that something was not sitting well with his second in command. “You’ll tell DiNozzo when you’re ready to leave, he’ll be your primary protection agent. I know the location of the safe house, but will only be sending it to DiNozzo when you’re already on the road. I don’t want the location leaked. In the meantime, he can help with the investigations. I also need to take a second statement from you.”

Leon wanted to speak up, but Tony beat him to the punch. “Already got the second statement, Boss. I’ll type it out and get the Director to sign it.” He met Gibbs’ gaze straight on, not once looking at the other man.

“Good.” He turned to Vance. “I know SecNav wanted an update. I’m heading up to MTAC.”

“I’ll come with you. I want to know what’s going on as well.” Vance replied. He turned without another word and headed for the stairs.

Gibbs took the moment to turn to Tony. “You want to tell me what’s going on?”

Tony shook his head. “I’ve got work to do.” He rounded his desk and took his seat.

“DiNozzo,” Gibbs tried again.

“SecNav must be waiting for you.” Tony responded and turned on his desktop to start typing out the statement and to also update his case notes.

Gibbs glared at Tony, but as it had no impact, he left it at that. “We’ll talk later,” he made his way up the stairs.

Tony silently counted off the seconds and after he was sure that Gibbs and Vance would be in MTAC did he let the mask slide from his face. He looked crestfallen. Tony closed his eyes and lowered his head, taking deep breaths. He knew he shouldn’t take the words to heart, but it still stung. Tony took a deep breath and when he opened his eyes, his mask was once again firmly in place.

**///\\\\\///\\\\\///\\\\\**

“You want to tell me what’s going on between you and my second in command?” Gibbs asked as the door of MTAC shut behind them.

Vance reached for one of his toothpicks and shook his head. “Nothing.”

“You sure?”

Vance replied with a grunt and focused his attention on the screen as SecNav’s face appeared on the large screen.

“Good to see you on your feet, Leon.” Phillip Davenport spoke up the moment the link stabilized.

“Thank you, Sir.” Leon replied.

“What do you have, Agent Gibbs?”

Gibbs took a step forward. “Both scenes seemed to be connected. Casings found matches, but ballistics are ongoing.” He took another step forward. “Unfortunately, at this stage we’ve got no video footage because of a glitch in the street cams.”

Davenport nodded his head. “I trust you, Gibbs. Your team is the best. You’ll get them.” Davenport faced Vance. “Let Gibbs do his work. I’m not fond of the idea of you being at NCIS, but it is the most secure place to be at the moment.” He looked at both men. “Gentlemen.” Davenport ended the call.

Gibbs stared at Vance, he knew he’d be able to out wait the other man. He was not going to let it go. He needed to know what was going on.

“Don’t you have work to do, Agent Gibbs?” Leon did not look at Gibbs. Instead, he focused his attention on what the technicians were doing on the screen.

“I first want to know what’s going on between you and DiNozzo.”

Vance’s face contorted with anger. He turned to Gibbs. “You really want to know, Agent Gibbs? Well, then let me tell you. I don’t trust him with my life. He’s not good enough. I really don’t see what you see in that man. He’s nothing but a clown.”

Gibbs was at a loss for words. Never had he thought that Vance would utter such a load of bullshit. Finally, he managed to speak up. “And just where the yell did you get that crap? DiNozzo is the best young agent I’ve worked with in my life. There’s no one better than him. I trust him, and only him, with my life. And if you still fall for his clown routine after all these years, there’s something seriously wrong with you.” Gibbs had closed the distance between them. “Get your head out of your ass, Leon.” He stepped away. “I’ll bring your statement up for you to sign. Don’t leave the building without notifying me.” Gibbs didn’t give Vance an opportunity to respond, but made his way up the stairs and exited MTAC quickly.

Vance removed the toothpick which he bit in two from his mouth. He glared at the technicians who witnessed the confrontation between him and Gibbs before they finally scurried away, leaving him alone in the large room. He couldn’t believe that Gibbs believed he had his head up his ass. That man had blinders on when it came to DiNozzo. Vance also knew how to pick his battles and knew now was not the time to take the matter further. It would be the perfect opportunity for him to observe DiNozzo in his work and get all his ducks in a row. If he proved to Gibbs how incompetent DiNozzo was, then Gibbs would have no choice but to get rid of him.

**///\\\\\///\\\\\///\\\\\**

Tony looked up as Gibbs stormed into the bullpen and sighed. It was clear that Gibbs had confronted Vance and Vance told him. Before he could utter a word, Gibbs came and stood right in front of him. “You’re the best that there is.” He grabbed his coffee from his table. “We will talk later, but I’m not removing you from his detail.” Gibbs took a sip of the coffee and grimaced. It was ice cold. “That Vance’s statement?” He indicated to a typed page on Tony’s desk.

Tony nodded. “If he’s satisfied he can sign it. I’ll file it with the rest of our case notes.” Tony looked at the phone on his desk. “Abby called. The bullets retrieved from both scenes match. She can now say for sure that the same weapon was used at both scenes.”

“Good.” Gibbs stepped closer to Tony’s desk. “I need you to do a threat profile assessment on Vance.”

“Already started, Gibbs. I’ve also started running a search to see if any of the bad guys he put away got released the past few weeks, or those who are already out, decided to relocate to D.C.”

Gibbs nodded. “I’m going to Ducky. When McGee comes in, put him to work.”

“Yes, Boss.” Tony started working on the threat assessment again. He didn’t see the look of confusion slash worry that was edged onto Gibbs’ face before the man left the bullpen and headed down to autopsy.

**///\\\\\///\\\\\///\\\\\**

Doctor Mallard looked up from his paperwork as the doors to his domain opened. He smiled when he saw Jethro. “I do not have anything for you yet, Jethro. I am afraid that this time around you will leave empty handed.”

“I need to talk to you, Duck. Private.”

Ducky took a good look at his friend’s face and saw the different emotions clearly visible. Jethro had always been stoic. For him to be visibly so emotional meant it was something huge. “Mister Palmer is attending a course and is not here this week. We are free to talk.”

Gibbs nodded and heaved himself onto one of the cold metal slabs. “Vance doesn’t trust DiNozzo. He still believes Tony’s class clown routine.”

Ducky was aware that he stood with his mouth open as Jethro spoke up. He was glad that he was seated as he didn’t think he’d be able to stay on his feet if Jethro told him that while he was standing. “Oh dear,” he found his voice. “Maybe you misunderstood him?”

“No, Duck. His words were quite clear.”

“Do we know what brought this on?”

“I placed Tony in charge of Vance’s security until this mess gets sorted out.”

“Ah,” a light went on for Ducky. He was surprised that Gibbs didn’t think of it as well.

“Ducky?”

“You really do not see it, do you, Jethro?” Ducky came to his feet and took his place on the autopsy table next to Gibbs.

“See what, Ducky? There’s nothing to see. Tony’s the best there is, no question about it.”

Ducky sighed and shook his head. “Last year when Jackie died, what happened?”

Gibbs frowned. “It was a case of road rage, Ducky. You know that.” Jackie had picked up her two children from school and between them bickering and her phone going crazy she sped through an intersection. No one was injured, but a guy by the name of Ralph Henderson felt that he got cut off and followed Jackie home. Tony was at the Vance’s residence to pick up papers for Vance when Jackie stopped in the driveway and Henderson stopped behind her. When he got out and started to insult Jackie, Tony intervened. In the end Tony had Jackie phone the LEO’s and Henderson was taken away. A week later Jackie was gunned down on their front lawn. When they investigated the scene, Tony recognized the car and identified their gunman. Henderson didn’t want to go to jail and shot himself. Unfortunately, that didn’t bring Jackie back.

“He’s blaming DiNozzo for Jackie’s death?” Gibbs looked shocked as he figured it out in his head.

“I do believe so. You must remember, Jethro, the Director was so shocked and angry when he heard that Anthony knew about Henderson and didn’t say anything, that he nearly had a heart attack. He felt that Anthony should’ve reported the incident to him and that he failed in his duty as an agent. The fact that Jackie asked Anthony not to say anything didn’t matter. It also didn’t matter that Jackie went to the precinct and told them that she didn’t want to press charges against the man for his road rage and that he was then released.” Ducky sighed. “In our Director’s eyes, everything was Anthony’s fault and I assume now, with these two incidents, those wounds were reopened and Anthony is now once again in Director Vance’s crosshairs.”

“Fuck,” Gibbs cursed. It wasn’t something that he often did, but in this instance, he didn’t know what else to say. It was going to be a hard case for all of them.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Undisclosed safe house**

Tony was grateful that McGee and Gibbs were both present at the safe house. McGee was making sure that the security system was up to date, while Gibbs stood around and glared at the director. Tony knew it wouldn’t help things, especially in the long run, but for now he could concentrate on doing his work instead of having the director question his every move.

He checked the windows on the back of the house again. They’d be staying clear of the front part because of the drive by shootings, but it didn’t make things easier. In fact, it made it more difficult as they had no clear view of the street. Tony settled himself in the kitchen. He could hear Gibbs and the director talking in the dining room. McGee fidgeted with the control box for the security system. Tony’s thoughts drifted to what transpired at the hospital earlier.

_After the director’s security team left, Tony took up position in front of the treatment room. His back to the room, facing any possible threat head on. When the doctor exited, Tony nodded in his direction and knocked on the door. After Vance’s clipped tone granted him entry, Tony stepped inside._

_“Director,” Tony greeted and looked on as the man struggled with his shirt. He wanted to help, but didn’t think it would be appreciated. ___

__  
_ _

_“What are you doing here, DiNozzo?” Vance grunted out in pain, but finally managed to get his shirt back on. It was stained with blood, but there was nothing he could do about it now._

_Tony took a deep breath. “Due to the second attack, SECNAV decided to release your protection detail. They’ve been ordered back to base. Gibbs sent me to keep you safe.”_

_The room temperature dropped by several degrees as Vance turned to face him. “Over my dead body and even not then.” He sneered and reached for his phone._

_Tony knew he had to stay calm. After Jackie Vance’s death, the rocky relationship he had with the director disintegrated into nothing. He was aware that Vance had tried to get him fired as a result of incompetence, but due to the fact that he wasn’t even present at the scene when Jackie was killed and Tom Morrow’s input, as well as Gibbs’ input he didn’t suffer that fate. The only thing that happened was that Vance barely tolerated him. “Gibbs will not talk to you now, Director Vance. He’s busy at the scene.”_

_“I am still the Director of NCIS.” Vance placed the phone against his ear. It rang several times and Tony looked on as Vance opened his mouth to speak but then shut it again. Tony heard Gibbs’ voice clearly over the line. The conversation was very brief – he was busy. Vance had glared at Tony again as if he was the one who told him he was busy. “Take me to the office.”_

_“Not until the doctor has cleared you.” Tony leaned back against the wall. He knew he was pushing it, but Gibbs would have his head if Vance collapsed in the middle of nowhere._

_Vance bristled at the words and stepped around the bed into Tony’s personal space. “What the doctor had to say about my health, Agent DiNozzo, has got nothing to do with you. Now, since I am your director, I am ordering you to take me to the office. Right now.”_

_Tony nodded. “Then we can leave, Director Vance, as soon as I take down your statement.” He stood to the side and waited for the other man to pass. Tony moved in behind when Vance stopped and turned. “I don’t trust you to keep me safe.”_

_Tony’s mask was perfect as he nodded again. “Understood.”_

_Vance shook his head. “No you don’t. You’re responsible for Jackie’s death. You killed her.”_

_Vance didn’t wait for a response, but exited the door. He didn’t see the look of guilt and shame that shadowed Tony’s face before Tony pulled himself together and stepped in behind his Director, making sure to keep the man safe._

Tony got pulled back to reality when McGee spoke up next to him. “Thanks, McGee.”

“You all right, Tony?” McGee asked concerned. He had noticed that Director Vance ignored Tony. Not even making an effort to include him in any conversation.

Tony smiled from ear to ear. “Never been better.”

“Tony,” McGee tried again.

“Drop it, McGee. Go home. I’ll see you in the morning.” Tony was under no delusion that Vance would stay put. The fact that the director was placing himself at risk, seemed not to have registered to the man. Or, maybe it did, but that he didn’t care. Whatever the reason might be, Tony knew that tomorrow at seven they will be at the office.

“I can stay tonight.” McGee suggested.

Tony smiled. “No, McGee you can’t.” Tony used his hands to indicate the space around them. “This is not one of the biggest safe houses we’ve got Tim. It’s got only one bedroom, one bathroom and a couch that pulls out. You don’t want to sleep on the floor, and I’m not sharing a bed with the director.”

McGee blushed, he didn’t think things through before he made the suggestion. He wanted to speak up when a voice beats him to the punch.

“That could be perfect, Agent McGee. In that case Agent DiNozzo can be relieved from duty. I am sure he’s got other things to do.”

McGee’s eyes grew large and he looked between Gibbs and the Director. Gibbs’ lips were pressed together, the vein that pulsed on the left side of his face when he was about to blow, clearly visible.

“McGee, get out of here. Be at the office at zero seven hundred hours. DiNozzo stay.” Gibbs grabbed Vance by his uninjured arm and dragged him back into the dining room.

McGee stared. “Tony?”

“Get going, McGee. You heard the Boss. Go home and get some sleep, tomorrow is going to be a long day.”

“No, Tony.” McGee shook his head. “Not until I know what is going on between you and the Director. Did you do something wrong?”

Tony couldn’t help but to snort. His shoulders drooped as he turned towards the refrigerator. He didn’t look at McGee as he spoke up. “I killed his wife.” He rested his head against the door. “Now, get out of here, McGee. You don’t want Gibbs on your case as well.” Tony didn’t look back. He remained leaning against the refrigerator until he was sure McGee left the room. When Tony turned back, he could still hear Gibbs and Vance arguing. He didn’t need to be a psychic to know what they were arguing about.

**///\\\\\///\\\\\///\\\\\**

**Undisclosed safe house: 03:15**

Tony stood up from the kitchen table and slowly made his way around the kitchen before he headed into the dining room. He kept his footsteps light as he made his rounds. He couldn’t help but to yawn and ran his hand tiredly over his face. The lack of real sleep was catching up with him. Tony made his way down the passage and stopped in front of the closed bedroom door. He pressed his ear against the door. Vance was asleep, he could hear the deep breathing and occasional snore. Tony checked the bathroom, and then headed back through the dining room into the front part of the house. He checked the windows, there was no movement outside. Tony yawned again and then made his way back to the kitchen where he took the seat he vacated a few minutes back.

He picked up his phone and checked in with Gibbs. The older man had left after he and Vance ended their shouting match. Luckily by that time, McGee already left. Tony still can’t believe that Gibbs had even gone as far as to pull out papers and shoved it against Vance’s chest. Vance had taken a look, sneered at it, let it fall to the floor and stormed off. The papers stayed on the floor. Gibbs had told Tony he would see him in the morning, but at least made up for his gruff demeanor by hugging Tony before he also left. Tony picked up the papers to have a look. What he saw made him sit down.

Gibbs had printed out their latest shooting range scores, as well as the scores of all the lead and second in command scores of all the teams at NCIS. Tony’s score was on top. Gibbs was second. The other paper contained all of the commendations received by Tony during his years of service at NCIS. It was clear what Gibbs intent was, it was crystal clear on what the director thought about it.

Tony reached for his weapon that wasn’t far from his hand the moment the crickets outside stopped screeching. He looked at the sensor McGee left behind. It would flash red the moment someone breached the perimeter. He groaned in silence when the sensor flashed in his hand. Tony got to his feet and quickly made his way over to the window. He took a quick peek and swore silently. It looked like three men were approaching the house. They were very meticulous in their movements and from what he could see they used hand signs to communicate with one another. Tony would’ve wanted nothing more than to take them down, but with Vance injured and only two of them, the chances of gaining the upper hand didn’t look good. It was time to get out. Tony picked up his phone and pressed the redial button. He didn’t bother to answer it. That was not the purpose of this call. The moment it rang, it would alert Gibbs that they had trouble and he would bring in the cavalry. Tony had only one job – get Vance out and keep him safe.

He entered the bedroom silently and approached the sleeping figure on the bed. With sure movements, he closed Vance’s mouth with his one hand while the other he used to press his finger against his lips to show to Vance that he should keep quiet. It took a moment or two for Vance’s eyes to focus and then nod. Tony removed his hand, bent forward and pass Vance his shoes. Because of the possibility of another attack, Vance had only removed his shoes and jacket before he went to bed. It was better to wake up in wrinkled clothes than not to wake up at all.

The sensor flashed in Tony’s hand again and he wanted to swear out loud. The secondary perimeter was also breached. It couldn’t have been the same three men as this sensor was placed on the side wall. It seemed like they now had unwanted guests from two sides. As Vance checked out his weapon, Tony made sure the passage was clear and then pushed Vance out of the room. There was a hidden exit to the outside from a small room that was no doubt seen as a broom closet. Very few people, including agents, knew about this escape route. Tony pushed Vance on and the two men quickly stepped out into the night air. They crouched in silence as Tony latched the door from the outside. He made sure that no one was nearby before he nodded and they both made it to the back fence. Tony had to help Vance clear the fence as Vance couldn’t pull himself up due to his injured arm. When both men landed on the other side, Vance wanted to speak up, but the sound of multiple shots made them duck for cover. Tony grabbed Vance by the shirt and pulled him away from the gunfire they could hear came from within the house.

As they jumped the second wall, Tony started to run. He made sure that Vance kept up with him the whole time. For once, he was grateful that Vance didn’t see the need to talk to him as they sprinted to safety. There was something seriously wrong; once again a safe house had been compromised. It seemed like whoever was after the director had an inside source. Things just became more difficult and he knew it would piss Gibbs off even more. Tony didn’t dare to think about what Vance’s opinion of the whole situation was. He had a feeling that Vance would find a reason to blame him for this fuck up.

**///\\\\\///\\\\\///\\\\\**

**NCIS HQ: 7 hours later**

Gibbs wanted to scream out of frustration. In just under forty-eight hours three attempts had been made on Vance’s life and it was starting to piss him off. Luckily, Tony managed to get them to safety without any further injury, or being killed. He knew Vance wanted to say something, but one look from him silenced the man – for now in any case.

“Damn it, McGee, you’ve been at it for almost an hour and still nothing?” Gibbs stalked to where the young agent sat behind his desk working away on the computer.

“There’s not much to go on, Boss.” McGee indicated to the screen. “I’ve been going through all of the Director’s case files since he started at NIS, but so far nothing. We still don’t have any footage from the first incident or the second and we have no idea what they drove with the third attempt as Tony only saw them on foot.”

“Find me something, McGee. Anything!” Gibbs yelled and stormed off. He had to go and get coffee before he killed someone. He decided to take the stairs, and as he reached the second landing he came to a halt. “I thought you were down in Abby’s lab, getting some rest?” He lowered himself to sit next to the man.

Tony moved away from the wall and placed his head on Gibbs’ shoulder. “Needed some air.”

Gibbs looked around. “The air is not very clean here.” He pulled Tony closer to his side. He would hear a stairwell door open and would have enough time to move away if needed be.

“Not so much to breathe, more to think.” Tony responded.

“Not so sure it’s a good thing for you to think, if you’re so tired.” Gibbs smiled at the memory and even Tony snorted a laugh.

“It was one time. You’re never going to let it go.”

Gibbs shook his head. “You told me you were ‘thinking’ when you managed to add salt to your coffee instead of sugar. Then you puked your guts out after the coffee became too cold and you gulped it down in one go. That’s not an experience I think you want to repeat.”

Tony shivered. “You’re right, not again.” He sighed. “Vance is going to fire me.”

“He can try, but he’s not going to succeed.”

Tony lowered his head. “Ed phoned me.”

Gibbs frowned. For a moment he couldn’t place the name. “Ed from cybercrimes?”

Tony nodded. “Vance contacted him just after we arrived here at the office. He gave him an instruction.”

“What kind of instruction?”

“The highly classified kind which he already disobeyed when he phoned me.” Tony got to his feet. “Vance made Ed track my cell phone from an hour before the first attack on his home.”

“He did what?” Gibbs came to his own feet. He was filled with rage.

“It seems like our Director is of the opinion that I’m behind the attacks on him.”

Gibbs growled, like in an actual growl. “I’m going to tear him apart. Just how fucking stupid can he be!”

“No, you’re not going to tear him apart. It’s our job to keep him alive. We need to find the person behind this and solve the problem. Killing Vance is a solution, but not the right one.” Tony took a deep breath. “Besides, there’s another problem.”

Gibbs frowned. “What?”

“Where was I when we got the call?”

Gibbs shrugged. “At home, we’ve just eaten.”

“Exactly, at _your_ home. And although that’s not a problem, what do you think he’s going to notice the moment he gets the full report?”

“Why would he want a full report?” Gibbs didn’t want to consider Tony’s words.

“Because it’s Vance we’re talking about and he might be many things, but not being thorough is not one of them. He’s going to see that I’ve been constantly at your home for the past three years and he’s going to put two and two together and then he’s going to fire both our assess.”

“No, he’s not.” Gibbs sounded positive.

“How can you be so sure?”

“It was just before Morrow left, when the two of us started our relationship. I went to him personally and explained everything. He decided that unless it had a negative impact on our work, he would not separate us. It’s well known that we’ve got the highest closing rate in the whole of NCIS. No one is going to mess with the team and let that percentage slide down.” Gibbs shrugged. “I also know Tom personally made notes in both of us to indicate our status. If Vance didn’t read it, then that is his problem, not ours.”

“It was like two weeks before Tom Left. Vance is still going to be pissed.”

“Well, then he has a choice. He can either be pissed and let us do our work, or he can get killed, but we’ll still be in a relationship.” Gibbs pulled Tony into an embrace. “Let’s concentrate on finding these bastards first and worry about Vance later.” He kissed Tony with passion before letting him go. “I need coffee. Go and find me something while I’m gone.”

Tony smiled. He still didn’t feel good about Vance finding out about them, but if Gibbs could be positive, then so could he. “On it, Boss.” Tony took the stairs up and Gibbs down. Both had a task to complete.

**///\\\\\///\\\\\///\\\\\**

When Gibbs returned from the coffee run, the atmosphere in the bullpen was charged. Something happened while he was away. “Talk to me,” he ordered as he placed a cup on Tony’s desk and passed McGee one as well.

“Tony had an epiphany, Boss.” McGee sounded excited.

“Not sure he even knows how to spell that, McGee.” Gibbs said with a smile. “What do you have?” He looked around, he couldn’t see his second in command anywhere. “Where is DiNozzo in any case?”

“He went down to Abby’s lab.” McGee continued to type away.

“McGee!” Gibbs called out. “What do you have?”

“Oh, sorry, Boss.” McGee looked sheepish. “Tony went through the statements from any possible witnesses at the second scene and one witness gave a description of a suspicious vehicle that was in the neighborhood an hour before the attack. Tony then ran a search to see if he could find a possible match in police reports of stolen vehicles fitting the description. There were ten possible matches. He’s gone down to Abby to check on possible camera footage.”

“I thought the city cameras aren’t working?”

“Indeed, Boss. But, the vehicles were stolen from different places and Tony’s going to check out if those places had video surveillance to see if he could pick something up.”

Gibbs nodded. “Indeed an epiphany.” He took his seat. “What do _you_ have, McGee?”

“We’ve already run a search on the possibility that the SUV used at the director’s house might be stolen and came back with nothing. We’re now running a search to see if any logistics company hired out a fleet of SUVs approximately forty-eight hours before the attack.”

“Anything yet?” Gibbs couldn’t help but ask.

McGee shook his head. “Still a lot of ground work to do, Boss.”

Gibbs knew telling the young agent to work faster, wasn’t going to work. “Keep at it.” He reached for his cell phone when the phone on his desk started to ring. He answered it quickly. “On my way, Abby.” Gibbs came to his feet. “Let me know, when you find something, McGee.” He grabbed his coffee and the coffee he brought for Tony as he headed towards the stairs.

McGee merely nodded.

**///\\\\\///\\\\\///\\\\\**

Abby looked up as the door to her lab opened and she smiled as her Silver Fox entered. “Gibbs,” she greeted him with a bounce in her step as she closed the distance between them and grabbed him by the hand. She pulled him to where Tony sat on one of the high chairs. It seemed he was looking at three different videos at the same time.

“What’s going on, Abby?” Gibbs indicated to the different screens.

“Tony is working his magic, Bossman.” Abby grinned. “McGee must’ve told you that they found ten possible matches, well, Tony’s managed to bring that number down to three. He’s now going through the footage we managed to get from different servers to see if we can establish when they were taken and how.”

“You said you’ve got something for me?”

Abby’s shoulders sagged. “I finally matched the ammo and the rifles, Gibbs.”

“And?” Gibbs tried not to sound impatient, but he couldn’t understand why Abby was so reluctant to tell him what she found.

“The ammo is 5.56 caliber rounds.” Abby started off.

Gibbs’ head snapped upwards. “You sure?”

“Positive,” Abby nodded.

“M16?” Gibbs’ voice grew soft.

“M16A4 to be precise.”

Gibbs wanted to hit something, anything. Hearing what ammo was used, was great news, except that it wasn’t. It meant that whoever was after Vance, had access to military weapons, more specifically, rifles used by US Marines.

“Find out of any weapons were reported stolen.” Gibbs found his voice. His head spun with the information as he tried to figure out what the hell was going on. “Let McGee help you if need be.”

“I’ve got a bowling friend who works for ATF, I’ll get in contact with her.” Abby responded subdued. She knew what the information meant.

Gibbs nodded and made his way over to where Tony still sat. “You okay?” He asked softly as he stood right next to the man on the chair. He placed the coffee next to Tony’s hand.

Tony paused the footage and looked at the older man. “Abby told you.” He made it a statement.

Gibbs nodded. “I need to share this with Leon, more importantly, I need to let SecNav know as well.”

Tony nodded in agreement. “I’ll let you know the moment I find something here.”

Gibbs squeezed his shoulder and gave Abby a kiss. He couldn’t help but to think on why would someone with possible military connections be trying to kill Vance. It just didn’t make any sense.

**///\\\\\///\\\\\///\\\\\**

Vance leaned back in his chair and ran his hand over his face. He was dead tired and wanted nothing more than to sleep, but he still had an agency to run, despite the fact that someone was clearly out to kill him. A knock sounded on his door. He made sure his weapon was in reach beneath the desk before he called out. “Come in.” He let go of the pistol when he saw who was at the door.

“I need you to come to MTAC.” Gibbs remained standing in the doorway.

Vance came to his feet and buttoned up his jacket. He really needed to get another one from home. He still couldn’t believe that he’s been wearing the same jacket now for almost four days. “What are we going to do in MTAC?”

Gibbs shook his head and made his way back out of the office. He waited for Vance to come out before he fell into step behind the director. Neither man spoke a word as they walked to MTAC. Something that Gibbs was grateful for.

Gibbs let the technicians connect to SECNAV and then he ordered them out. He remained silent until Davenport appeared on screen. He didn’t wait for Davenport to greet them, but spoke up immediately. “Whoever is trying to kill Leon, Sir, has military connections. More important, Marine connections.” He heard Vance taking a deep breath, but didn’t turn to him. He kept on focusing on Davenport.

“You sure, Agent Gibbs?” Davenport asked.

“As sure as what I can be at the moment, Sir.” He quickly explained to both men what Abby had found.

Davenport looked at the senior agent and at the man in charge of NCIS. “Solve this, Gibbs and quickly. Keep your Director alive.”

Even as Gibbs nodded, Davenport disconnected the link.

“I know about you and DiNozzo.”

Gibbs turned slowly. “And I don’t give a damn, Leon. We’ve got bigger problems. Let’s concentrate on that.”

“I will not tolerate such behavior in my agency.”

Gibbs growled. “And what behavior would that be, Director?”

Vance wanted to answer, but Gibbs’ phone rang in his pocket. He retrieved it quickly. “Abby?” He listened intently. “I’ll be down in a few moments.” Gibbs ended the call. “For now, it’s my duty to keep you alive and that’s what we’re going to do. We can talk about anything else later.” He didn’t wait for Leon to follow, but exited the room and made his way over to the elevator to take him down to Abby’s lab.

Leon looked on as the man he respected walked away from him. He still couldn’t believe that Gibbs was in a relationship with DiNozzo. He would’ve guessed different things, that was definitely not one of them.

**///\\\\\///\\\\\///\\\\\**

“Norfolk Naval Base had a burglary, two weeks ago.” Tony spoke up as Gibbs entered the lab. “It wasn’t brought to our attention as nothing was stolen.”

Gibbs frowned. “And now that’s changed?”

Tony nodded. “They’re missing a case of M16A4’s.” He tapped on the computer screen with his finger. “A report just came in, requesting NCIS’ assistance.”

“Let Balboa know his team should take it. McGee should go with them.” Gibbs ordered. He looked at one of the other computer screens as Tony called upstairs. As his second in command ended the call, indicted to the screen. “This?”

“The suspicious vehicle might be a Camry. This one in particular.” Tony leaned back. “It was stolen from a second-hand car lot. I’ve got some footage on the theft, although it’s very grainy. What is of importance is the fact that there were six people at the lot who checked out different cars before they settled on that one.”

Gibbs frowned. “And?”

Tony grinned. “The first drive by was done by three unmarked SUVs. All three had at least one shooter each and definitely one driver each. Thus, a total of six men. Although there was only one vehicle used in the second drive by, there had to be at least two shooters and one driver, giving us three. With the last attack, there were two groups – three men each.”

Gibbs placed his hand on Tony’s shoulder. “Well done.” He squeezed it once. No one else would’ve ever thought of making such a connection. “Anything else on them?”

“Not yet. Abby will run facial comparison on them, but as I say the images are very grainy. I’m not holding my breath.” Tony typed something on the keyboard. “I’ve sent out a BOLO for the car in the meantime.”

“You don’t think we’re going to find it.”

Tony shrugged. “We’ll find it, but either completely stripped or torched. They’re covering their tracks.” He lifted his head. “I called in a few favors from the different precincts. All of them will keep us in the loop to either SUVs reported stolen or a group of men stealing a single car.”

“Keep me updated.” Gibbs squeezed Tony’s shoulder again. He decided not to tell him what Vance had said. He would deal with it himself.

**///\\\\\///\\\\\///\\\\\**

Gibbs leaned back in his chair, with his eye closed. He had a dull headache, and his gut didn’t stop churning. They were in one fucked up situation and had trouble in getting the investigation to go in any specific direction. Gibbs looked up when someone entered the bullpen. “What do you have, McGee?”

McGee’s shoulders sagged but then he caught himself and he straightened his shoulders. “I now understand why you and Tony are the best, Boss. Between the two of you we would’ve gotten the info so much quicker, instead they tried to run rings around us.” He sighed. “But Balboa channeled his inner you, slash, Tony and finally we got what we needed.”

“I don’t want to know what you’re talking about,” Gibbs came to his feet. “What did you find out?”

“There was a prank war on base. Unfortunately, it escalated out of control and that’s when the armory realized that the case with M16’s wasn’t just relocated to the sport’s hall or even put on the roof of the mess hall.”

“A prank war?” Gibbs frowned. “That sounds something DiNozzo would get involved in.”

“Got a few ideas to get him back, Boss.” McGee grinned, but then sobered up as he saw Gibbs wasn’t sharing the smile. “Anyway, it seems like during the prank war someone managed to carry off the case with weapons.” McGee took out a flash drive. “Managed to get them on one of the base cameras, but it’s clear that they knew about the cameras, but at least we got some basic information on them.”

“Them?” Gibbs closed the distance between him and the junior agent. “Six men?”

“Six?” McGee frowned. “No,” he shook his head. “Three. Two carried the case, and there was one behind the wheel.”

“Two groups of three each.” Gibbs spoke the word out loud. “Get that down to Abby, McGee. I want to know if those three are the same as the others.”

“Boss? We don’t have any distinguished features of any of them. Just a general height and weight at the most.”

“Abby will work on it.” Tony spoke up from the side. He hurried towards his desk.

“What do you have, DiNozzo?” Gibbs inquired even as he reached his own desk and reached for his own credentials and weapon.

“BOLO on the Camry came through, Gibbs.”

“Good,” Gibbs turned to McGee. “Get down to Abby with that.” He didn’t wait for the junior agent to respond but immediately followed his second in command out of the bullpen. This was one of the first possible tangible leads in this case.

**///\\\\\///\\\\\///\\\\\**

“You were right on one thing, DiNozzo.” Gibbs looked on at the burned out skeleton of what used to be a Toyota Camry.

“Yes, unfortunately.” Tony continued to take some more photos, but knew the chance of them getting any evidence or possible leads from the burned-out wreckage was slim. He had a feeling that not even Abby would be able to help. It was just another dead end. Just another reason for Vance to fire his ass. The head slap was hard and he yelped. “What the hell?” He turned to face his team lead and found Gibbs right in his personal space.

“Since when do we give up so easily?” Gibbs stood close to him and whispered in his ear. Both men were aware of the local LEOs that stared at them. “We’ve not given up on any case before, and we will not give up on this one. We _will_ find the person responsible for this. Do you hear me, DiNozzo?”

“Loud and clear, Boss.” Tony lowered his eyes and took a deep breath. He should’ve known Gibbs would pick up on his emotions. His partner, slash lover, always knew where he was in his head.

Gibbs grunted before he turned away. “Let’s get this back to Abby.” He called out the order and knew it would be followed. “What are you doing here, Parsons?” Gibbs asked as he turned and saw the young agent coming his way.

Parsons dipped his head for a second. “I saw you and DiNozzo storming out of the building and followed you. Didn’t want to leave you without backup.”

Gibbs arched an eyebrow. He was about to respond when Tony spoke up behind him and he turned to his second in command. “So sweet, Parsons. Please tell me you informed your team leader on what you did?”

A flush appeared on Parsons face before he nodded. “I did, Dinozzo.” He pushed out his chin.

“Good.” DiNozzo turned his attention to Gibbs. “Another BOLO came through. We might have found one of the SUVs.”

“What?” Parsons eyes grew huge. “Where? Can I come with?”

Tony frowned. “A real eager beaver, aren’t you?”

“Please?” Parsons ignored Tony’s words. He focused his attention on Gibbs. “Please,” he asked again. “I know I’m still a probationary agent, but I need the exposure and working with you, Agent Gibbs will mean the world to me.”

Tony rolled his eyes. Once in a while a probie came through the ranks with a case of hero-worshipping. It seems like Parsons had it bad for Gibbs. He took a step back, it would be interesting how Gibbs dealt with this.

Gibbs stared at the young agent. He was aware of the fact that Tony was staring at him. Finally, he grunted out a response and walked away. He could hear Tony laugh and Parsons splutter as Tony slapped him on the back. Gibbs reached the NCIS sedan and opened the door. He wasn’t surprised when not even two seconds later the passenger door opened and Tony got in. The right back door opened and a third got in.

“Can’t believe you tried to call shotgun on me, Probie.” Tony said with a smile. “You better buckle up and remember to call the office. Someone has to collect the car you left behind.” He indicated to the seat belt just as Gibbs pulled away. He laughed as Parsons tumble over. “Welcome to hell-riding, Parsons.”

By the time they stopped at their next destination, Parsons was green in the face and Tony took pity on him. He led him away from the possible scene to make sure that if he tossed his cookies, the scene at least, wouldn’t be contaminated.

“Fuck,” Parsons finally got a word out. He was still green, but started to look better now that he no longer was in the car. He looked on as Gibbs marched towards a cordoned off scene.

“You all right, Parsons?” Tony asked as he kept his eye on Gibbs. He hated not knowing where Gibbs was.

“I’m fine.” Parsons moved away from the shoulder on his hand.

“Good,” Tony nodded. “Make sure you’ve got your system under control before you join us, you don’t want to mess Gibbs’ scene. If you do, I’ll have to phone Ducky to come and pick you up and you’re way too young to end up on Ducky’s table.” Without looking back, Tony walked toward Gibbs. Parsons took out his phone.

**///\\\\\///\\\\\///\\\\\**

**NCIS Garage: 19:00**

Tony stood next to Gibbs as the SUV finally made its way into the garage next to the burned-out Camry. Abby was already busy on the car and only her feet stuck out from underneath it. “See you got an admirer.”

It was Gibbs’ turn to roll his eyes. “It will end soon.”

Tony shook his head. “I don’t think so, Boss. He’s been mooning over you for a few weeks now. The only difference now is that he’s doing it from close up.” He looked over to where Parsons was standing to the side with a clipboard in his hands. He wasn’t sure what the man was doing, but at least he wasn’t ogling Gibbs at the moment.

“You jealous, DiNozzo?”

Tony smiled. “No, Boss. You’d eat him for a snack and not even notice it. I’m not jealous, just worried. He’s going to land hard.”

“They’ve got to learn one or other time, Tony.” Gibbs managed to brush his hand over Tony’s. “We need to go up and update SecNav and Vance.”

Tony sobered up. “Are we staying here tonight?”

Gibbs shook his head. “No.” He arched his brow as his second in command wanted to respond. “You need some sleep.”

“I sleep very well in my chair.”

“Sleep in a real bed, DiNozzo.” Gibbs walked towards the elevator.

“And if I’m babysitting the Director, just how do you think I’ll do that?” For the first time since the beginning of the case, the tension was audible in Tony’s voice.

“I know just the place.”

Tony tripped over his own feet and stumbled into the elevator. He locked eyes with Gibbs as the doors closed. “Oh, hell no, not our home. You can’t be fucking serious.”

“Dead serious.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Gibbs/DiNozzo home**

The cabinet next to the stove closed with a hard bang, but Tony ignored it. He had his earbuds in his ears and he was busy cooking. He still couldn’t believe that Gibbs decided to bring Vance to their home. In hindsight, he understood it. It was the safest place for the director to be that was not a safe house. But, it didn’t mean he had to like it or agree with it.

Tony took a deep breath. If he didn’t want to ruin this late dinner, he had to concentrate on what he was doing. It wasn’t often that he got the chance to make this dish and he normally made it when he had things on his mind to work out. This time he had a lot on his mind. The conversation up in the Director’s office after Gibbs dropped the bomb on him, one of them. He’d just stood in the corner and looked on as things played out.

_“Your home?” Vance sounded breathless. A vein throbbed in his neck._

_Gibbs nodded. “Our home. It’s the safest place at the moment.”_

_“No.”_

_Gibbs arched his brow and closed the distance between himself and the director. “I’m not giving you a choice here, Director.”_

_“And I’m still the director, and I’m saying no.”_

_The phone on Vance’s desk started to ring. “You should get that.” Gibbs indicated to the phone._

_“It’s my office and my phone. I don’t need to answer any call if I don’t want to.” Vance snapped._

_Gibbs shrugged as the phone stopped ringing. He looked as Vance’s cell phone started ringing in his jacket which hang over the back of his chair. This time he just looked at the other man and remained silent._

_Vance wanted to growl, but instead he reached down and picked out the phone from his pocket. He looked at the screen. “Sir,” he eyed Gibbs the whole time. The conversation didn’t last long, before he replaced the phone back in the jacket pocket._

_“We’ll be leaving in ten.” Gibbs turned on his heels._

_“You know I will use this.” Vance spoke up quietly._

_For the first time since they entered the room, Tony straightened himself out and took a step closer. He got stopped by Gibbs’ hand on his chest._

_“Use what you want. We’re doing our job, Leon and that’s to keep you alive.” Gibbs turned towards Vance. “Eight minutes. DiNozzo will get you in front of this door.” He pushed Tony out with his hand and closed the door behind them._

_Eight minutes later, Tony knocked at the door and Vance came out. Neither man looked at the other, as Vance made the trip down the stairs with Tony on his heels._

Tony drained the pasta and added the sauce to it. He removed the earbuds and picked up the bowl and grabbed the large bowl of salad with it. He exited the kitchen and place the dishes on the dining room table. No longer was it the small table Gibbs used. When he’d moved in he brought his dining room set with him. Now it was large enough to seat twelve and although the space looked a bit cramped, it fit in perfectly. Tony’s eyes landed on his piano on the other side. His fingers longed to stroke the keys, but had a feeling it would be a while before he’d be able to play again.

“It looks good, Tony.” Gibbs was the one who broke the silence. He helped himself to the salad and the pasta. He passed the dishes to Vance.

Vance didn’t say a word, but took some of the salad and the pasta. He took a bite of the pasta and his eyes grew large. His taste buds exploded. He couldn’t help but be impressed. The dressing not only complimented the salad, but went perfectly with the pasta as well. Before he knew it, he’d cleaned his plate and found himself reaching for seconds.

Gibbs wanted to speak up when Leon’s phone rang. The jacket was once again over the back of a chair. He looked on as Vance reached for the phone. The expression on his face said it all. It was his children phoning. “You can take it in my study.” Gibbs indicated to the door behind Vance.

“Thank you,” Vance stood up and entered the tiny study. He closed the door behind him.

“He’s impressed.” Gibbs took another bite of his own pasta.

Tony snorted. His eyes landed on Vance’s jacket. “We need to get him more clean clothes. He brought that jacket from home after the first attack.”

Gibbs frowned. “Why? It’s a black jacket. It goes with what he’s wearing.”

Tony sighed. “It’s dirty and just because it’s black, doesn’t mean it goes with everything.” He refrained from making a Sears comment.

“We’ll hear from him in the morning.” Gibbs looked at the study door that remained closed. He could faintly hear Vance’s voice, but he couldn’t make out what was said. He stood up and gathered the dirty dishes. “I’ll clean up.”

“I’ll help you.” Tony got to his own feet. He didn’t eat much, and he knew Gibbs had noticed, and was grateful that he didn’t remark on it. He just didn’t have an appetite and with Vance in their home, made it worse.

Both men started cleaning and tidying up the kitchen in silence. No words were necessary between them. Neither of them noticed the man standing in the kitchen door who witnessed how they silently communicated with one another. How a gentle touch of a hand, or a bump against a hip meant so many things. Vance sighed. He missed Jackie so much. He closed his eyes. When he opened them, he found DiNozzo looking at him and he closed his emotions off. If it wasn’t for him. He couldn’t help to sneer and ignored the flinch he saw on the other man’s face before he turned around and headed back to the dining room. The living room was off limits so he took his seat at the table again. Vance looked up as Gibbs came back into the dining room. He could hear the other man still busy in the kitchen.

“I’ll take first watch. Tony second. You know where the guest room is. The guest bathroom is right next to it.” Gibbs lowered himself in a chair and took his weapon out of his back holster and placed it on the table.

“If I take the guest room where will DiNozzo sleep?”

Gibbs sat up straighter. “Where he normally sleeps, Leon. In _my_ bed. This is our house. The only reason why you are here, is because we need to keep you safe. No comments from you are necessary. We know exactly where you stand on our relationship.”

Vance wished he had a toothpick. He ground his teeth and got to his feet. “It’s been a long day. See you in the morning.” He headed up the stairs without looking back.

“Will you come and visit me if I’m stationed in Antarctica?” Tony spoke up behind Gibbs.

“I thought you were going to get fired.” Gibbs turned and pulled Tony to his chest.

“Firing me would be too easy.”

“He will not do anything to you.” Gibbs leaned in and captured Tony’s mouth. He sighed as Tony opened up and let him in. The kissed deepened, both men needed the intimate connection. When they were both out of breath, he released Tony’s mouth. “The first thing I’m going to do after this is to fuck you so hard, you won’t be able to walk straight for days.” Gibbs licked the shell of Tony’s ear and grinned as the man in his arms shivered.

“Fucking tease,” Tony grumbled but instead of breaking away he pressed himself closer. “I’m going to hold you to that promise, Jethro.”

“You may.” Gibbs kissed him once more and then stepped away. “Get some sleep, I’ll wake you in four.”

Tony nodded and yawned. He was looking forward to getting some shuteye. “Keep safe,” he placed another kiss on his partner’s lips and then let go.

Gibbs watched as Tony disappeared up the stairs. He walked through the house and made sure that all the windows and doors were locked. He checked the alarm system too. Since Tony moved in three years back he installed the system. He would always keep the ones he loved safe.

**///\\\\\///\\\\\///\\\\\**

Gibbs reached for this phone the moment it started ringing. “Gibbs,” he answered gruffly. It was almost one in the morning and dispatch knew his team was not on call. “Parsons?” Gibbs frowned. He could barely hear what the young agent was saying. “Where are you?” He had to concentrate on the words. “What? Stay there, I’m on my way.” He disconnected the call. “Idiot.” Gibbs grabbed his weapon and made his way up the stairs. The moment he entered the bedroom, Tony switched on the bedside lamp.

“What’s wrong?” Tony asked as he saw the look on the older man’s face.

“Parsons called. The idiot got a lead on the remaining SUVs and decided to check them out. On his own. I have to get down there before he gets himself killed.”

Tony got out of bed. He was dressed in boxers and a T-shirt. He reached for his jeans which he’d thrown over the chair in the corner. “Fuck,” he hissed as he dropped the jeans. “Call McGee and make sure he’s there to for backup.” He didn’t turn around as he dragged his hand through his hair. He hated letting Gibbs go without watching his six.

Gibbs saw the tension in Tony’s frame. “I’ll stay safe.”

Tony turned. “You better, you’ve got a promise to keep.” He reached for his jeans again. This time not to go out of the house to make sure Gibbs was safe, but to keep the man currently sleeping in their guest room safe.

Gibbs nodded and the two men went back down the stairs. Gibbs disarmed the alarm system and went out through the back door and exited with the Challenger from the garage. He left the truck for Tony.

**///\\\\\///\\\\\///\\\\\**

**Gibbs/DiNozzo home: 02:00**

Tony looked up as the stairs creaked. He watched as the director came down the stairs. The man looked around and his eyes landed on Tony. Tony sat back, but didn’t say a word.

“Looking for some water.” Vance spoke as stepped into the room. He looked at the piano DiNozzo sat behind. “I didn’t know you played.”

Tony cocked his head. “You still don’t know if I play.”

Vance shrugged. “Can’t see Gibbs playing.”

“There’s cold water in the refrigerator.” Tony got to his feet.

Vance nodded. He made his way to the kitchen and in the dark opened the refrigerator to get the water. DiNozzo’s order from the back of him to drop made him do so immediately. Glass shattered above him and he covered his head with his arms. He could hear DiNozzo curse behind him even as the agent fired back. There was nothing he could do. His own weapon was still upstairs. He didn’t even think of bringing it down with him.

“We can’t stay here.” Tony shouted as the bullets continued to rain on them. “Keep low and make your way to the basement. The door is to the right of you.” Tony ordered as he fired his own pistol again.

Vance lifted his head and spotted the door. He leopard crawled to the door and managed to open it up without even getting up on his knees. He had no idea on how it looked in the basement. Gibbs had never invited him down there. Vance heard a grunt of pain and a muffled shout behind him, but he didn’t turn back. He nearly tumbled as he crawled forward and the floor gave way. Stairs. He should’ve realized there would be stairs. Especially if he was going into a basement. Vance knew he wouldn’t be able to crawl down the stairs so he came to his feet and made his way down the stairs. He still had to do it carefully as there was a little light coming into the area. He sighed as he finally realized he was at the bottom of the stairs. He could still hear the shots upstairs and wondered what took DiNozzo so long to come down. It was hard to think that the man would try and take on men armed with M16’s. He was about to turn and go back when the door opened again and someone stumbled inside. He could hear the door being bolted together with more than one curse uttered at the same time. If it wasn’t for the fact that he recognized DiNozzo’s voice he would’ve panicked. Vance looked on as DiNozzo stumbled down the stairs. He could see better now that his eyes were used to the dark.

“Get behind the boat. There should be a SIG taped underneath.” Tony ordered as he made his way deeper down the basement. He reached the sawhorse Gibbs always used and ripped a second SIG from the side. He also ripped another magazine off and loaded it into his main weapon. He lowered himself to the floor. “Fuck!” He took a deep breath. “You all right, Director?”

“I’m fine.” Vance spoke up. He had found the taped down weapon and had it in his hand. “How the hell did they find us?”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t stop to ask them.” Tony snarked. He didn’t even feel bad at the sarcastic answer. He took his phone out and frowned. He had no signal. “That can’t be.” He looked over his shoulder and made out Vance’s form behind the boat. At least the man had the sense of following his orders. “Do you have your phone with you?”

“I’m sorry, I normally don’t bring my phone with me when I only came to look for water.” Vance snarked back. “And where’s yours?”

Tony bit into his cheek not to reply with another sarcastic remark. It wasn’t going to help their situation. “I’ve got it with me, but there’s no signal.”

Vance sighed and rolled his eyes. “You know we’re in a basement. The chance of having cell reception is very slim.”

“We’ve got a signal booster. It works throughout the house.” Tony didn’t add that even without the booster there was always signal in the basement.

“Jammed?”

Tony nodded, but then spoke up as he knew the director wouldn’t be able to see him where he sat. “I think so.”

“How long do we have then?”

Tony closed his eyes and placed his hand beneath his T-shirt. He could feel the blood seeping through his fingers. “Not sure. If it’s a jammer, I don’t know how far it’s blocking and if anyone could have called the police.”

“Landline?” Vance had to ask.

Tony actually snorted. “Gibbs ripped that out years ago. Apparently, he was tired of it ringing all hours of the day.” He took a deep breath. It hurt, but not too bad. He needed something to stem the bleeding. “I also think they took out the power.”

“Why do you say that?”

“The refrigerator, it was dark.”

Vance frowned.

“It’s a brand new refrigerator. Not even a week old. The bulb works and it didn’t. Because I sat in the dark I didn’t notice it at first.”

“They cut the power and the landlines.” Vance finally put it together. It seemed like they were truly screwed.

“Totally screwed, no, not yet.” Tony spoke up and Vance realized he spoke out loud.

“What now?” He asked.

“We’re safe for now. Let’s hope it stays like this until Gibbs shows up.”

“How can you say we’re safe for now, or have you forgotten that they just tried to shoot us to pieces?”

“Because they’ve not breached the inner perimeter.”

“I thought you said the power is out?”

Tony groaned, but managed to keep it low enough. He really had to get something to stop the bleeding. He reached out with his hand and hoped that the rag Gibbs always kept on the workbench was still there. He sighed in relief as he felt the cloth beneath his fingers and he pulled it down. It wasn’t the cleanest, but it was the only thing he had. He reached for the duct tape that kept the SIG and magazine taped to the sawhorse. He wanted to use that to tape the rag to the wound to hold it there. It would free up both his hands.

“DiNozzo?” Vance asked when he received no answer. “You okay?”

“I’m fine.” Tony replied. He gave no explanation for his silence. Instead, he wiped the sweat from his face. “The alarm system works on a secondary battery. The moment the power goes out, it switches over to the battery. It will still go off the moment it’s tripped.”

“So until it goes off, we’ve got some time.”

“Indeed.” Tony felt sleepy and he had to shake his head. Now was not the time to fall asleep. He cleared his throat. “What’s your take, how did they find us?” He had to keep thinking. Something wasn’t adding up.

“How the hell should I know, DiNozzo. You’re the brilliant investigator, what’s your take?

Tony actually smiled. “You started out as an agent as well, Director Vance. Has the politics gone to your head so much that you’d forgotten about that?”

DiNozzo’s words made Vance rethink. The agent was right. He did start out as an agent. It was so many years ago, but still. He was still a trained investigator as well.

The silence made Tony’s eyes slid close. He was starting to feel cold as well. He touched the rag. It was wet underneath his fingers. “At first, I thought there was a leak in the department, but now I’m not so sure. We’re missing something.”

“Why no leak?” Vance asked the question more to himself but wasn’t surprised when DiNozzo spoke up.

“Because the only people who knew we were coming here, are the three of us, Director and SecNav. Gibbs didn’t even tell McGee where we would be tonight.”

“Then how the hell?” Anger pushed through Vance’s voice.

“I don’t know. We were not followed. Between myself and Gibbs we would’ve picked up a tail. There was nothing.”

“Okay, so no leak and no tail, what remains?”

Tony pinched himself. He was aware of the fact that he groaned out loud. The left side of his body was growing numb. He had to get up.

“DiNozzo?” Vance asked with concern as he heard the groan. Something was up with DiNozzo, but he had no idea what. He received no answer. “DiNozzo!” He used more force in his voice.

“I’m up, Boss.” Tony spoke up. He came to his feet and nearly fell over again.

“What the fuck!” Vance got to his own feet. He kept low as he closed the distance between them. Just as he reached the younger man, DiNozzo’s legs gave way. If it wasn’t for his fast reflexes, he wouldn’t have been able to catch the falling man. “DiNozzo!” Vance stumbled as the agent went limp in his arms. He gently lowered him to the floor.

“DiNozzo,” Vance checked for a pulse and was alarmed as he felt how thready it was. DiNozzo’s skin was clammy to his touch and he was breathing rapidly but very shallow. There was something wrong, but he had no idea on what. He started to check DiNozzo out from head to toe and that is when he noticed the bulge underneath the unconscious man’s T-shirt. He lifted the shirt and the coppery smell of blood assaulted his senses. “Damn it, DiNozzo. Why didn’t you say you were hit?” Vance growled but then wanted to slap himself at the back of the head. DiNozzo had asked him if he was fine, but he’d heard the groan of pain before he came down the stairs. For the first time he now realized why Gibbs would always check DiNozzo out himself after a scene where shots were fired. It seemed like the man had a tendency in keeping things like being shot to himself.

Vance leaned in and tapped DiNozzo on the face again. He had to get the agent to wake up. The man on the floor groaned just as an alarm started blaring through the house. Vance shot to his feet. It seemed like their time had just ran out.

**///\\\\\///\\\\\///\\\\\**

**Warehouse district**

Gibbs’ gut churned as he exited the Challenger. The area was dark with no sign of life anywhere. He’d phoned McGee on his way, but as the other agent stayed out on the other side of town, it would still take him a while to get there. He didn’t know if Parsons had enough time for that. Gibbs wanted to phone Parsons to ask him where he was, but he couldn’t do that as he had no idea if it would place the junior agent in danger. He made his way to the left, his weapon at the ready. Gibbs wished he had Tony at his back.

Light from a warehouse to his left made him veer in that direction. He couldn’t hear anything, but it didn’t mean that it was empty. He was still approaching when gunshots went off and it had him running at full speed in that direction. He stopped at the doorway and ducked inside. It was clear, but he still flinched at the scene before him. Parsons was on the ground, three other bodies lay sprawled out around him. “Parsons!” Gibbs ran forward, his weapon still in his hand. He quickly checked the junior agent and sighed when he felt a pulse. He frowned when he saw no blood, but then noticed the bullet holes and the bulkiness underneath the agent’s shirt. “Kevlar vest,” Gibbs mumbled to himself. He checked out the three other men. They were all dead. He kicked their weapons away and returned to Parsons side. “Come on, Parsons, wake up.” He tapped the agent against the cheek a few times. Finally the man groaned and gasped for air the moment he opened his eyes.

“Fuck,” Parsons coughed and held his chest.

“Easy, you’ll be all right.” Gibbs helped him to sit up. “You took a few to the chest.” He indicated to the two bullet holes that decorated the white shirt. “What happened?” He raised his weapon to cover them both as he heard footsteps running in their direction. He lowered his weapon when he saw it was McGee. “Call an ambulance and Ducky.”

Parsons got to his feet. For a moment it thought as if his legs were going to give way, but he stubbornly remained standing.

“Easy, can you tell me what happened?” Gibbs asked again, even as he held the younger man steady.

Parsons swallowed hard. “I checked out on the BOLOs sent out and a patrol car mentioned seeing one here. As I was still at the office, I decided to come and check it out.”

“Without back up?” Gibbs growled.

“I phoned you, Agent Gibbs.” Parson’s swallowed. “I got here and I could hear them talking. I stayed clear of them to hear what they were saying.” He swallowed again and looked on as Ducky and his temporary assistant, came into the warehouse. He shook his head. “We need to go, I found out where they were going to. Hurry.”

“Steady,” Gibbs tried to hold him back, but the agent moved away from him. “Hey!” Gibbs called out in his best Gunny voice. It brought Parsons to a halt. “What did you hear?”

“I’ll tell you in the car, but we must go, Agent Gibbs, now!” Parsons hurried towards Gibbs’ car.

“Where are we going to, Parsons?”

“To your house, Agent Gibbs. They knew the director was there.”

It was as if Gibbs entered into deep water. No longer did he hear clearly, it was as if everything happened underwater. He jumped into the car, not even bothering to call for backup. He pushed his phone into Parsons hands. “Phone DiNozzo, tell him there’s trouble. We’re on our way.” Gibbs pressed down on the gas, the Camaro roared to life.

Parsons fumbled with the phone and held it against his ear. “No answer,” he relayed the message.

“Phone again.” Gibbs barked as he took a corner, the car slid to the side, rounding the curve on only two wheels.

Gibbs made good time. His gut screamed as he turned another corner and saw how dark the block was. The power had been cut. It didn’t mean anything good. As he neared his house, he could hear the alarm blaring and knew that the perimeter was breached. Even before the car came to a halt, he was out and moved to the house. “Phone for back up!” He yelled and made his way to the front door.

**///\\\\\///\\\\\///\\\\\**

Leon managed to drag DiNozzo in behind the boat for extra cover. He wished he could see better and hoped that the bad guys didn’t have night vision goggles as that would definitely put him at a disadvantage. He knew he couldn’t stay down here. If they found them there, they would be cornered and dead in seconds. Leon got to his feet. He took two weapons and left one with DiNozzo and made his way through the darkened basement to the bottom of the stairs. He looked back once, but could barely make out the form of the fallen agent underneath the boat. Leon took a deep breath and made his way up the stairs. The deadbolt unlocked silently which made it easier for him to get back into the house.

**///\\\\\///\\\\\///\\\\\**

Gibbs’ gut told him to check out the back of the house first. He indicated his intent to the junior agent and made his way around the house. It was pitch black, but he knew his property like the back of his hand. Gibbs moved slowly but surely forward.

He saw movement to the right of him and as the man raised the assault rifle, Gibbs fired his own weapon – double tap. He had enough cause not to shout out a warning or to get the man to lower his weapon. One down, at least two to go. He rounded the house and made his way to the front door. The alarm still sounded shrill and he wished he had a way of turning it off. But, on the other hand, it also masked any noise he might make as he moved forward. Gibbs reached the front door. It was forced open and stood ajar. He took a step forward and pushed the door inward. Two shots echoed through the house, it sounded like it came from the top floor. Gibbs sprinted forward and took the stairs two at a time.

**///\\\\\///\\\\\///\\\\\**

Vance cleared the bottom floor quickly. He was surprised to find a secondary study. By what he could see, it belonged to DiNozzo. It looked cluttered, but tidy at the same time. Maybe if there was better lighting it would’ve looked better, for now it only mattered that it was clear. Vance made his way to the stairs. It was time to check out the top floor.

He was half way up the stairs when a floor board creaked. Vance stood still as he held his breath. He had nowhere to go and if whoever was on top, descended the stairs he would be wide open. No footsteps came towards him and he moved on. The room he slept in was clear. He moved across the hall to a second room. Another guest room if he had to assume. It was clear and he had to move back to the right-hand side of the hall to the bathroom. The floor board creaked and he cursed silently. Vance saw the movement out of his peripheral sight and turned. Someone ducked into what he assumed to be the main bedroom and he followed quickly. As he got to the doorway, the man inside raised his weapon, but it was too late. Vance pulled the trigger twice and the man fell backward into the main bedroom. He had an M16 rifle, his lifeless hand still clutching it lightly.

**///\\\\\///\\\\\///\\\\\**

He groaned and gasped as pain assaulted him. He reached for his side in an attempt to make it stop. His hands shook as he pressed down on the wound. For a moment he couldn’t remember what had happened, but then the memories flooded back. “Vance,” his voice was hoarse. Tony looked around, but couldn’t spot the other man anywhere. It was then that he noticed that he was no longer behind the sawhorse. He had been moved. Tony groaned. It also meant that he lost consciousness. Just another nail in his coffin. His side pulsed with pain, but he pushed it out of his mind. They still had no idea on how many men were in the house. He had to get to the Director. It was bad enough that Jackie died, he wasn’t going to let it happen to Vance as well. Tony reached out at one of the boat’s ribs and pulled him to his feet. He felt physically ill and swallowed down the bile that rose up in his throat. He had to get out of there. He shuffled forward and his foot connect with something. It slid to the side. He looked down and could make out the silhouette of a weapon. Tony wanted to kick himself. He had no idea on what he would’ve done if he got up the stairs and then realized that he had no weapon. Tony knew he had one other problem. He had to bend down to pick the weapon up and he had no idea if he’d be able to do that without face planting and not getting up again. He growled at himself. He would not let Vance die. The sooner he got his ass up there, the better.

Later on Tony would have no recollection of how he managed to pick up the weapon, got back up right and got himself out of the basement. His vision kept on blurring, making him see double of everything, but it didn’t deter him. The kitchen was clear from any movement and the back door still looked closed. The dining room was also clear. He headed slowly towards Gibbs’ tiny study and flinched as a double shot sounded outside. He relaxed. The bad guys had a tendency to fire more than twice. A double tap meant it was one of the good guys – he hoped. He put the shots out of his mind. If the threat came in through the back door, he would take care of it. Now, first, he had to make sure the house was clear.

The study remained empty and a floorboard creaked above his head. Someone was upstairs. Tony slowly made his way to the stairs. He couldn’t see the living room or his own study from where he was and hoped it was clear. The fact that no one made a move out of the shadows when the floorboard creaked again made him believe that he was alone on the bottom floor. Tony nearly yelled as he climbed the first stair and the gunshot wound to his side made itself known. He had a deadly grip on the barrister in an attempt to remain on his feet. He started climbing the stairs.

What felt like a life time saw him finally getting halfway. He had to rest as his vision threatened to black out. He moved forward slowly, and counted the steps he took in his head. The fourth stair on the second landing was one of those that creaked. Tony was still making his way up the stairs when he heard quick steps on the floor, followed by two shots. It gave him the energy he needed to get up the rest of the stairs himself.

Tony stumbled onto the top floor. His vision blurred again, and he could hear a high-pitched sound in his ears. He shook his head in an attempt to rid himself of the noise, but it didn’t help. Tony knew he had to move on, he cleared the first guest room, and the second. He was about to clear the guest bathroom when a figure came out of the main bedroom. Tony raised his weapon. He wanted to take the shot, but there was more than one figure in front of him. He had no idea which one to shoot and which one to ignore. It sounded like the figure was talking to him, but the ringing noise in his ears, made it almost impossible to hear. He kept his weapon raised. “On the floor, on the floor!” He shouted. As he couldn’t shoot, he had to get the person to surrender, he didn’t want to take the chance and miss the shot. The figure didn’t want to listen and he yelled again. Different noises started to assault his ears as it felt like they popped open. “On the floor, get on your fucking knees!” He could hear himself scream. His throat felt raw. There was movement behind him and he turned ready to fire. He could feel himself putting pressure on the trigger when a voice penetrated his senses. “Boss?” Tony asked, confused as he lowered his weapon. A hazy figure came towards him, and he wanted to bring his weapon back up again. Another order made him to keep it lowered. The figure stopped right in front of him and he blinked. “Boss.”

“Yes, it’s me, Tony. It’s me. You can stand down, it’s all right. Just stand down.” Gibbs kept on talking to Tony as he kept an eye on Vance at Tony’s back. The man was in a position between wanting to shoot and wanting to get down on the floor. Gibbs had heard Tony’s orders just after the shots were fired. It had spurred him on to get to the top floor. Seeing Tony pointing his SIG at their Director made him cringe. When Tony didn’t shoot, but ordered the man to get down on the floor, Gibbs had moved closer. He talked to Tony, but it didn’t seem as the man could hear him. Finally, Tony must’ve realized there was someone behind him and he turned. Gibbs nearly fell to his knees as he took in Tony’s appearance. Blood coated the whole right side of his body. He could see it dripping to the floor. He had managed to keep his voice steady and what felt like a life time he finally got Tony to lower his own weapon. Gibbs made his way to where Tony swayed on his feet.

“I’ve got you,” Gibbs repeated the words. He looked over at Vance. His head was screaming from the alarm that still bleared. “There’s a remote in the second drawer, push the green button.” He ordered as he lowered Tony gently to the floor. He sighed as the alarm bleared one last time and then it was silent. “Call for help!” He called out, but even before Vance could respond, a shot rang out behind him and he threw himself over Tony. He turned and had his weapon in his hand, ready to shoot when he took in what was happening behind him. A dark clothed figure with an assault rifle laid sprawled out on the floor, his blood already tainting the carpet. Behind him with a weapon still raised stood Parsons. Gibbs sighed. “Six down.” He closed his eyes for a second. “Get help,” he ordered as he opened them again. His attention was back at the man he loved more than life himself. “Get help, now!!!” He shouted again as Tony gasped and stopped breathing.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Bethesda Hospital: Two days later**

A soft knock on the door made him reach for his weapon before he realized where he was. Gibbs withdrew his hand. “Come in.” He stayed seated next to the bed.

“Gibbs,” Leon nodded his head in greeting as he entered the room. “How’s he doing?” He looked at the man in bed.

“Doctor is satisfied that he’ll make a full recovery. He will be on desk duty for a while, but that’s to be expected.” Gibbs didn’t need to add that if it took any longer for the EMTs to show up, Tony would’ve bled out. He’d stopped breathing after his lung collapsed due to a broken rib.

“Has he woken up?”

Gibbs nodded. “He finally woke up late last night, unfortunately for the nursing staff he woke up fighting. They struggled to get him to calm down. Luckily, he didn’t reinjure himself.”

“That’s good to hear.” Vance took the second chair and ignored the look the senior investigator gave him. “I didn’t know he was shot.”

Gibbs shook his head. “He wouldn’t have told you in any way, Leon. At least he tried to stop the bleeding instead of ignoring it.”

“Would he have told you?”

Gibbs sighed. “A few years back, I would’ve said no. Now, he would’ve told me. He would’ve still downplayed it, but, yes, Tony would’ve said he got shot.”

“I asked him if he was okay. He told me he’s fine.”

Gibbs growled. “I wish, whoever, thought out that word would get a cramp in their ass every time it’s spoken out loud. DiNozzo would tell you with his dying breath that he’s fine, Leon. The moment he says he’s fine you should know he’s hiding something. And normally not something pleasant.”

“Why didn’t he tell me he was shot?” It felt to Vance he was missing a piece of the puzzle.

Gibbs cocked his head. “Do you really want to hear that answer?”

“I wouldn’t have asked, if I didn’t want to know.”

Gibbs came to his feet and walked around the bed and took a spot next to the window. He looked outside. “Because you don’t trust him.”

Vance frowned. “You mean, because he doesn’t trust me?”

“No, Leon. I meant what I said. He wouldn’t have told you he got shot because you don’t trust him. Because you don’t trust him, he doesn’t want to waste your time with anything. He would rather stay quiet and out of your way. Unfortunately, that also includes negating his own health.”

“You’re serious.” He frowned. He heard what Gibbs told him, but it didn’t make sense. It seemed like there was yet another aspect of Anthony DiNozzo he had no knowledge of. He nodded. There was something else that he also wanted to know. “When did you find out he plays the piano?”

A sad smile appeared on Gibbs’ face. “About six months after he started at NCIS we had a bad case. DiNozzo took it hard. I gave him his space that first night, but the following night I went to his apartment. I found the door half open, empty liquor bottles all over the place and a very drunk DiNozzo behind the piano. Never mind the fact that he was so drunk he couldn’t stand on his own two feet, he played the piano as if he’d done it since the day he was born. I listened to him for almost two hours before I could finally move and get him cleaned up. Tony always turns to the piano when he had a difficult day. I have a feeling in the upcoming days I’ll hear him play often.”

“Does he play when he’s happy?”

“Yes, he does. He loves that piano. It’s the only thing he has from his mother.” Gibbs moved over to the bed as Tony shifted and groaned. His face showed signs of distress.

Vance got to his feet. “I just came to check up on him and to inform you that I’m not pursuing your relationship any further. I’ve also put in a commendation for DiNozzo and Parsons.”

Something inside of Gibbs loosened up. “Thank you.” He placed his hand on top of Tony’s and squeezed it once. He kept his attention on the man in the bed and didn’t even notice that the director slipped out of the room.

**///\\\\\///\\\\\///\\\\\**

**Gibbs/DiNozzo home: 1 week later**

Gibbs sighed as he entered Tony’s study and found his partner hunched over a file. He knew exactly which file it was. “Something still bothering you?” He asked as he placed the mug of coffee on the desk next to Tony’s arm. He stepped back and took his usual seat. It was one of those fancy recliners that Tony bought just for him. It used to be in the living room, but both men quickly realized that they spend more time in Tony’s study than in the living room itself. The chair made its way over to the study as well.

Tony nodded and gently reached for the mug. “Thank you.” He took a sip and sighed. “Just the way I like it.” He leaned back in his own seat and closed his eyes for a few seconds. His body made it known that he’d been up and about for far too long. Tony opened his eyes and found Gibbs’ gaze on him. “Something’s not adding up, but I can’t seem to find out what it is. I’ve even tried reading the file backwards, but nothing’s jumping out.”

“Then maybe there’s nothing to find?” Gibbs replied and took a sip of his own coffee.

“No, there’s something and we’re missing it.” Tony got to his feet and hissed as the wound in his side reminded him that he was shot a week back. He gently made his way over to where Gibbs reclined in his chair. “May I join you?”

“Gibbs smiled. You never have to ask.” The chair was big enough for the both of them and he moved over and helped Tony to get settled next to him. He didn’t even hesitate to pull the younger man halfway on top of him and held him close. “What’s bothering you? Talk it out.”

“No, I need you to tell me your side of events again. I was stuck here. Whatever I’m missing is on your side of things.” Tony leaned his head against Jethro’s collarbone.”

“Okay, where do you want me to start?”

Tony took a deep breath. “Start at you getting the call from Parsons.”

Gibbs nodded and started to recall the conversation he had with the junior agent. He told Tony everything that was in the report and answered every question Tony put to him.

“What did you find at the warehouse?”

He closed his eyes. “It was all quiet. I couldn’t hear a thing. For a moment I wondered if I had the right place because nothing moved out there. I made my way to the warehouse nearest to me. I’d followed Parsons’ instructions so I knew it had to be the right one. Then just as I neared, shots were fired and I raced in. I found Parsons on the ground, with three bodies around him. All dead.”

“Parsons’ got hit twice in the chest?”

“Mm, saw the holes in his shirt and the bullets in the Kevlar vest myself.”

Tony nodded. “You tried to phone me to warn me, but couldn’t get through?”

Gibbs shook his head. “No. I was driving. I told Parsons to call you. He said the phone went unanswered.”

“You took the one down at the back of the house and entered through the front door.” Tony closed his eyes as he pictured everything again. “Vance took the one in the main bedroom.” Tony sighed. “Parsons took the one that managed to sneak up.”

Tony took a deep breath and grunted at the pain. He held on to his side.

“It’s time for your medication.” Gibbs tried to maneuver their bodies so that he could get up.

Tony shook his head. “No, it makes me drowsy.”

“Tony,” Gibbs sighed. “You need to take it.”

“And I will, just not now.” Tony lifted his chin in a clear sign of defiance.

Gibbs growled, but settled back against the chair and pulled Tony closer again. “What else do you need to know?”

“Identities of the six dead perps.”

“Private First Class Kenneth Summers, nineteen. Sergeant Lawrence Collins, twenty-two. Gunnery Sergeant Frank Booth, thirty-two. They were at the warehouse. Here it was Corporals Mark Turner and Neil Burke, both twenty-one and lastly, Private Carl Evans, age eighteen.”

“And we still have no idea on why they decided to kill the Director.” Tony wanted to shout out of frustration. There was not one thing on their files or even picked up from interviewing everyone that knew them that could’ve indicated to a possible motive for their actions. “Only their prints found in the SUV?”

“No one else.” Gibbs confirmed.

Tony yawned despite the coffee he had. “I need to look at the photos.” He tried to heave himself out of the chair, but found himself not being able to do so as Gibbs held him close. “Let me up.”

“No,” Gibbs pressed a kiss on the side of his temple. “You’ve not played the piano tonight. I want to hear you play.”

“Are you trying to distract me?” Tony asked with a soft smile.

Gibbs shrugged. “Maybe? Is it working?” He returned Tony’s smile.

“Always,” Tony slowly got up and grimaced again in pain. “I’ll play for you and then take my pills.”

Gibbs shook his head. “No, you will first drink the pills and then play for me.”

“You planning on carrying me up those stairs?” Tony inquired gruffly. It always turned him on that Gibbs was able to carry him up those stairs.

“You know I will.” Gibbs got to his own feet. “Play me something nice while I get your medication.” He pulled Tony to his chest and kissed him good. He knew Tony was in no physical shape to take things any further, but they both loved kissing and he planned on kissing Tony for a long time when they finally settled down for the night.

Tony sighed as Gibbs released him from their shared kiss. He walked out of his study and settled behind the piano. Tony started with Wild Side of Roberto Cacciapaglia, which was one of his favorites and also one Jethro loved. It blended with Monday by Ludivico Einaudi and then it was time for Winter Sonata of Richard Clayderman. Tony kept the notes light and let the music settle in around him. He smiled as Gibbs moved in behind him and placed his hands on his shoulders. Tony leaned back and closed his eyes. His fingers never lost their rhythm as he continued to play for the two of them.

**///\\\\\///\\\\\///\\\\\**

**NCIS Bullpen: 3 weeks later**

Gibbs sighed as he read the text he received seconds ago. He looked up from his chair and found Ducky in front of him. “What can I help you with, Duck?” He placed his phone on the desk.

“I normally would not have come to you with something like this, but under these circumstances, I do find it necessary to confer with you.” Ducky looked over the rim of his glasses. “Are you aware of the fact that young Anthony is still pursuing the matter, even though it has been officially closed? He has requested all of my findings on our six dead Marines. I have never known him to dwell on things like this.”

Gibbs came to his feet. “My office, Ducky.” He didn’t look back as he walked over to the elevator. One of the administrative staff wanted to get in, but with a mere look, the man scurried in another direction. Gibbs pushed the emergency stop the moment Ducky got in and the doors closed behind them.

“It has been a while since you and I have used this office of yours.” Ducky spoke up as Gibbs remained silent. “What is bothering you, Jethro?”

“I’ve seen Tony work a cold case, until he nearly burned out. He was so obsessed with it, but he kept on going until he finally solved it. I thought it couldn’t be worse, but I was wrong. This time it’s as if the devil himself is behind Tony, driving him on with a bull whip. For the first time since I’ve known him, he’s not keen on returning to active duty. Not because he doesn’t want to, Ducky, but because he knows the moment he steps foot into this building, he has to put that case behind him. And I’m not sure if he’s able to.”

“Oh dear, I did not realize that it was that bad. I know you and Anthony do not like to talk to my colleagues, but maybe it was time Anthony spoke to someone?”

Gibbs snorted. “Good luck in suggesting that to him, Ducky. We had a huge argument about this last night. For the first time since he moved in with me, we didn’t share the same bed. He spent the night in his study.”

“Do you want me to talk to him, Jethro?”

Gibbs shook his head. “Not a good idea, Duck.” Gibbs shoulders sagged. “He’s supposed to return to work on Monday. I told him he can look into the case the rest of this week, but next week his head needs to be back in the game.”

“And the text you received from him prior to us talking here?”

Gibbs smiled, he should’ve known Ducky would realize from whom the text was. “He went to the warehouse to have a look around. He’s still insisting that there’s something we’ve missed.”

Ducky placed his hand on his friend’s forearm. “I hope he manages to put this to rest, Jethro, and soon. For once, I have a feeling that Anthony is barking up the wrong tree. He needs to put this case to bed.”

Gibbs couldn’t find the words to agree out loud, but he couldn’t help but to wonder if Ducky wasn’t indeed right. There was nothing. The case was closed. It was time to move on.

**///\\\\\///\\\\\///\\\\\**

**NCIS HQ: Monday Morning**

Tony managed to stifle the yawn before Gibbs saw it. He knew if his partner saw him yawning like that at before seven in the morning they would end up fighting. He was tired of fighting. Tony knew Gibbs meant well, but he wasn’t going to let this one go. He looked up as someone stepped in front of him. “Agent Parsons,” Tony greeted the young agent with a smile.

“Agent DiNozzo,” Parsons greeted him with a nod of the head. He immediately turned his attention to Gibbs, who stood behind Tony and smiled. “I’ve placed the files you’ve requested on your desk to look at, Agent Gibbs. I’ve highlighted those sections that I think are important.” He bounced on the balls of his feet.

“Thank you, Parsons.” Gibbs replied. In the month that Tony stayed at home, Parsons became a regular fixture in the bullpen. At first it left Gibbs highly irritated, but then he realized that the young agent was eager to help and he’d put him to work. It seemed like he got along with McGee and he didn’t think that Tony would have a problem with him.

“I’ve also made sure there’s fresh coffee on your desk.” Parsons continued smiling.

“Thank you,” Gibbs moved forward and the probationary agent finally moved on.

“He now part of the team, Gibbs?” Tony asked as Parsons walked away. He found himself feeling apprehensive how Gibbs might reply. He did refrain from asking if the agent had a crush on Gibbs; not in a mood for a head slap so early on a Monday morning.

“Just helping out. Things have been quiet for a change.” Gibbs frowned. Something in Tony’s behavior was off. For a moment he wondered if Tony might be jealous. He wanted to inquire what was bothering Tony, when he spotted the Director walking towards them. He couldn’t help noticing how rigid Tony became.“Agent Gibbs, Agent DiNozzo,” Vance greeted them both. “Glad to see you’re back here, DiNozzo.”

Tony smiled and Gibbs could see it was one of his fake smiles.

“It’s good to be back, Sir.” Tony looked at the two older men. “If you’d excuse me please, I have a feeling my inbox is running over with emails.” He didn’t wait for an acknowledgement but walked away.

“He all right, Gibbs?” Vance looked on as the agent moved away.

“He’s all right, Leon.”

“Good, remember the commendation ceremony is at nine. Please make sure you’re both there.”

Gibbs nodded. Normally he would’ve made sure to be out of the office, but this time Tony would receive the commendation and not him. He wasn’t going to miss that.

**///\\\\\///\\\\\///\\\\\**

Just before nine, Tony was totally annoyed. If he had to face Parsons one more time he was surely going to kill him, or at least injure him in such a manner that he would be absent from work for several months. He looked on as the man faffed around Gibbs and all that Gibbs did was to take it with a smile. Tony wasn’t jealous, but this was grinding on is nerves. He opened his mouth to speak up when the director spoke up on the landing above his head.

“Gentlemen, you’re going to be late.” Vance looked at the agents in the bullpen.

Tony got to his feet. “For what?” He buttoned up his suit jacket and slowly moved out from behind his desk.

“Commendation ceremony,” Gibbs replied as he also came to his feet. He grinned at the look on Tony’s face. “Suck it up, DiNozzo.” He moved past his second in command and headed for the stairs. He could hear Tony grumble behind him, most likely in Italian as he couldn’t understand the words.

“I’ve got work to do.” Tony moved back towards his desk. He wasn’t in a mood for any commendation ceremony. Not if he could use the time to work on the case. The moment a new case came in, he would have no time to work on the old one.

“And I told you, you’re going to be late.” Vance replied. He looked at Gibbs and at the stubborn look that appeared on DiNozzo’s face. “Five minutes.” He made his way back up the stairs to the large conference room. It was Gibbs’ responsibility to sort out his second in command.

“Let’s go, DiNozzo.” Gibbs indicated with his head for Tony to follow him. Gibbs could see that Tony wasn’t going to follow him out of his own free will. He hated himself when he spoke up again. “That was not a suggestion, Agent DiNozzo, that was a direct order.” His voice sounded clipped and the few other people who made their way up the stairs and pass him looked at him shocked. It’d been a long time since anyone heard him talk to Tony in such a tone.

Tony turned his gaze upwards. “Yes, Sir.” He pushed his chair back in and made his way up the stairs. He made sure that Gibbs couldn’t see the pain he felt in his side as he took the stairs two at a time.

“Tony,” Gibbs tried to speak to the man as Tony reached the landing.

“We’re going to be late, Sir.” Tony looked at Gibbs and then turned on his heels and made his way further up the stairs and entered the conference room. It was packed, but he managed to find a spot against one of the back walls. He refused to make eye contact with Gibbs as the man entered the room. Instead, he stared straight ahead and concentrated on letting the world around him disappear.

**///\\\\\///\\\\\///\\\\\**

**Gibbs/DiNozzo home: Monday night**

Gibbs placed the containers in the refrigerator and closed the door. He didn’t turn to look at the man behind him. After the commendation ceremony, things had gone downhill, fast. In the end, he’d sent Tony home before he killed him. Gibbs opened the basement door and descended the stairs. It was difficult for him to find peace in the basement since Tony got shot. Although with the help of Ducky, he managed to clean Tony’s blood off the floor, he could still picture it clearly in his mind. Gibbs reached for some sandpaper and started working on the boat. He didn’t stop working as he saw out of the corner of his eye Tony coming down into the basement.

“I’ve been a total ass,” Tony spoke up.

Gibbs grunted in response and continued sanding the hull of the boat. Now was not the time to speak. Tony needed to be the one to talk.

“How did they know where Vance was that night at the first safe house?” Tony sat down on the bottom stair. He leaned with his back against the wall. He held his arm across his body. “I went through all of their personal effects and all electronic devices. There was nothing to suggest that they had that kind of information.”

“Are you then saying that there is a leak, Tony?”

“I don’t know how it could be. That doesn’t make sense. Unless it was either one of us, or the Director put the hit out on himself.” Tony lowered his head so that his chin rested on his chest. He looked up. “Why don’t you believe me?”

The question came out of nowhere and it took Gibbs by surprise. He tossed the sandpaper to the side and came around the half built boat. “Where the hell does that come from?” He didn’t even try to disguise the hurt in his own voice.

“Because if it was your famous gut that was screaming, we would’ve been working this case twenty-four-seven without stop.”

“Well then give me something to work with, DiNozzo.” Gibbs snapped. “You’ve got no other leads to follow up on. Accept it. The case is closed.

“Thanks for the support, Jethro.” Tony got to his feet. “Don’t worry, I’ll do it on my own. I’m going to sleep.”

“Tony,” Gibbs called after him, but Tony didn’t respond and he heard the basement door closed with a solid thud. “Fuck,” Gibbs dragged his hand through his short hair. “Well done, Gibbs. Well done.” He looked at the boat and at the door and returned to his sanding. It would be better to give Tony some space. He would talk it out with him in the morning.

**///\\\\\///\\\\\///\\\\\**

Tony found himself curled up in Jethro’s chair. He had no idea what came over him to speak out like that. He knew Gibbs believed in him. The other man would always believe in him. But he felt so frustrated. Tony took the file he had in his hand and flung it against the wall. He gasped out of pain. “Fuck,” he grunted as he tried to take some deep breaths to work through the pain. It felt like a lifetime before the throbbing finally stopped. Tony leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes. He was so tired.

Gibbs found Tony asleep when he finally came up from the basement almost three hours later. At first he wanted to wake the other man up and take him to bed, but he knew the moment Tony woke up he would want to work again. He took a blanket that ended up in Tony’s study and tugged it around Tony. Gibbs then picked up the file that lay on the floor and gathered it all up. He placed it on Tony’s desk. Lastly, he kissed Tony lightly on the mouth and then switched off the light and exited the room. It was time he got some sleep himself.

**///\\\\\///\\\\\///\\\\\**

Gibbs woke up the following morning and turned to face Tony’s side of the bed. Yet again, it was empty. He stumbled to his feet and moved into the bathroom. In less than twenty minutes he came out and dressed for work. Gibbs made his way down the stairs and frowned when he saw the piece of paper on the dining room table. He picked it up and unfolded it.

_‘I found what I needed. Will take a few hours to sort out. I’ll be in touch.’_

“Damn it, DiNozzo.” Gibbs growled. He can’t believe that Tony didn’t wake him up. Now the fool of a man was out there somewhere without any backup. He was going to kill him when he found him. His mood didn’t improve even after he found that Tony made sure there was coffee for him to take to the office. Instead, he only frowned. His gut started to turn the moment he read Tony’s note. It could only mean one thing, Tony was in trouble and he had no idea on where to find him.

Gibbs reached for his phone as he exited the house. “McGee,” he snarled as the junior agent answered his phone. “Track Tony’s phone and let me know where he is.” He ended the call and made his way over to his truck. His phone buzzed in his hand and he checked it. “DiNozzo, I’m going to kill you, I swear.” Gibbs got into his truck and headed to work. He couldn’t stop thinking about what Tony was doing.

**///\\\\\///\\\\\///\\\\\**

“McGee!” Gibbs yelled as he entered the orange office. “Why the hell haven’t you called me with Tony’s whereabouts?”

“Boss?” McGee looked surprised.

“Where’s my second in command, McGee? Where is Tony?” Gibbs closed the distance between them.

McGee gulped. Before he could respond, Vance spoke up from above. “What’s going on, Agent Gibbs?”

Gibbs looked up. “My second in command is missing and I want to know where he is.”

Vance came down the stairs. “Agent McGee?”

McGee gulped. “I traced Tony to Norfolk Naval Base, Boss.”

“Then why didn’t you let me know, McGee.” Gibbs, half shouted.

“He asked probationary agent Parsons to contact you.” Agent Michael Balboa spoke up from the side. “When you phoned McGee he was busy helping me trace a missing child’s phone. He immediately did the trace for you and asked Parsons to phone you with the Intel. I stood right next to him when he did that.”

“Where the hell is Parsons?” Gibbs looked around. More than one agent also looked around. “McGee, phone him, find out where he is and let him get his ass here right away.”

“Have you tried phoning DiNozzo?” Vance inquired from the side.

“He’s not answering his phone. He sent me a text saying he’ll be out of cell range for a while, but that he will get back to me. I’ve got no idea where he is now.”

“McGee.”

“Already on it, Director.” McGee typed away and frowned. “It seems Tony’s phone is switched off, I can’t get a lock on the GPS on his phone.”

“Find him, McGee and where the hell is Parsons!” Gibbs yelled.

“Parsons isn’t answering his phone.” It was Balboa’s second in command who spoke up.

“Trace his phone.” Vance ordered. “I think we should take this to MTAC.”

Gibbs nodded in agreement. “Find Tony, McGee the moment his phone is within range again.” He took the stairs two at a time and followed Vance into MTAC.

**///\\\\\///\\\\\///\\\\\**

**MTAC: 7 hours later**

Gibbs had no idea on how long they were in MTAC, or how many times he’d yelled at McGee before the door opened and McGee stormed down the stairs. It looked like he slept in his clothing and his hair stood in every direction possible. “You need to see this, Boss.” He rushed over to the controls and took over from one of the controllers. Within seconds they had a grainy image on screen. “Tony,” McGee spoke into one of the microphones.

Gibbs looked on as the grainy picture changed and Tony’s face appeared on screen. He looked tired and had what looked like blood on the side of his face. “Hey, Boss.”

“Where the hell are you, Tony!” Gibbs stepped closer to the screen.

They looked on as Tony turned around. “In all honesty, Boss? I’m not quite sure.” Tony frowned.

“McGee!” It was Vance that barked out the agent’s name.

“On it, Director.” McGee started typing on the keyboard.

Vance stood closer. “Why don’t you know where he is, Agent McGee?”

“Because Tony phoned me and said he needed to speak to Gibbs. That’s why I came in here. I still need to find out where he is.” McGee continued typing away. He couldn’t comment on why Tony didn’t know where he was.

“I’ve got something for you, Boss.” The phone in Tony’s hand moved and for a moment everything on the big screen was turned upside down before Tony had the phone under control again and peered into the screen. He had a smile on his face, but it didn’t reach his eyes and his posture appeared hunched.

“What do you have, DiNozzo?” He had scribbled on a piece of paper for one of the technicians to get Ducky and bring him into MTAC. He wanted to know how Tony was doing and with Ducky at his side, he would at least have some clue.

“I found what was missing,” Tony tugged on something to the side and Parsons’ appeared on screen.

“Parsons?” Both Gibbs and Vance spoke up at the same time.

“Explain, Agent DiNozzo.” Vance moved closer to the screen.

The phone moved as Tony lifted his hand to wipe the sweat from his face. He used only his one hand, the other held his SIG pointed at the young man. “It’s a long story, but an interesting one, Director Vance, I’m sure he’ll share it with you later on. For now, ponder over this.” Tony cleared his throat. “It’s freaking hot out here.” He grinned. “Sorry. Explain this. How did Parsons arrive at the warehouse?” The phone changed angles again and it pointed to the ground. They could hear Tony mumbling something, but the words were unclear.

“Find him, McGee!” Gibbs yelled before he focused on the screen again. “DiNozzo, talk to me!”

Tony’s face appeared again. “Sorry, sorry for saying sorry.” He huffed. “I just had to make sure Parsons’ won’t get away, or bleed to death.” Tony wiped his face again and this time when he took his hand away, his face was tainted with blood.

“Tony!” Gibbs shouted. “Talk to me, what’s wrong? Where does that blood come from? Are you injured?” It didn’t matter that Tony just said Parsons was injured. He knew it was Tony’s blood. Gibbs became aware of McGee being excited behind him, but he concentrated on the screen. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ducky coming to a stand next to him, while McGee and Vance exited the room at a run.

“Tony!” He called out again when he received no reply. “Speak up, DiNozzo!” Gibbs barked out the order and the image on the screen tilted. The angle changed again and Tony appeared on the screen. “Not feeling so good, Gibbs.”

“What’s wrong, Tony, tell me.”

“Not sure, don’t know.” Tony’s tongue slurred.

Gibbs wanted to reply when a voice yelled in the background. Gibbs immediately recognized it as Parsons.

_“Because I shot him! He’s supposed to be dead, but he refuses to die! Why can’t he just fucking die!”_

“Tony, Tony!” Gibbs called out again. “Look at your phone, talk to me. Come one, DiNozzo, look at me.” His voice sounded gruff as he continued to try and get Tony to respond to him.

Tony’s face appeared again. He had a tired smile on his face. “I will always look at you, Gibbs. I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Tony.” He managed to smile and hoped that Tony could see that. “You’ve been shot, where, Tony, where’s the wound?”

Tony shook his head. “No, that was more than a month ago, Gibbs. I’m fine.”

Gibbs growled. He turned as Ducky spoke up next to him. “Timothy texted me. They got Tony’s location. They are at the YMCA grounds in Norfolk. Timothy already alerted the police and the EMTs. Vance has organized a helicopter, they will be there in about an hour.”

“Good,” he turned to Tony. “You hear that, the cavalry is on its way. Stay awake for me.” He wanted nothing more to be on his way as well, but knew he had to keep Tony awake.

Tony nodded slowly. “Will do so, Boss.”

“Good. Tell me about the warehouse, Tony. How did Parsons’ get there?” He was under the impression that Parsons arrived at the warehouse with an official vehicle. Especially since he told Gibbs he was at the office when the BOLO came in for one of the SUVs.

“With Kenneth Summers, Lawrence Collins and Frank Booth. They arrived all in the same SUV. There was no other vehicle when the photos were taken, Gibbs. Unless he walked from our offices he had to have arrived there with them.”

Gibbs nodded. “And since he left with me, everyone on the scene assumed we arrived together, that’s why no one questioned it.” It was a crime scene policy that all vehicles on the scene got photographed. If they were removed before hand, extra forms had to be completed stating the reason for moving the vehicle. Gibbs had personally completed the required form and placed it in the file.

Ducky’s phone rang and the older man answered it quickly. The conversation was short. “Timothy reports that the police are two minutes out.”Gibbs nodded again. “Motive, DiNozzo?”

Tony laughed weakly. “That’s a long story, Boss. But in short, an unhealthy obsession towards you.”

_“No! No, it’s not an unhealthy obsession. I love him and he loves me! I only wanted the best for him.”_

Gibbs looked over at Ducky when they heard Parsons’ voice over the phone. “Duck?”

“I think that is something that we can discuss later.” Ducky indicated to the screen. They could see two police officers on foot approaching Tony from the back.

“Calvary is behind you, Tony.” Gibbs informed him and the phone dipped. It ended landing face down and the screen went blank. “Damn it!” He swore.

“Gibbs,” Ducky placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Look.”

A police officer had picked up the phone. “Special Agent Gibbs?” He inquired and introduced himself. He kept them on the phone and showed them where the EMTs worked on Tony and where Parsons was cuffed to what looked to be a street light. He was seated on the ground, his shirt stained with blood.

The officer turned the phone so that they could see him. “The battery is very low, Agent Gibbs. I will ride with Agent DiNozzo in the ambulance and I will keep you up to date.”

“Thank you.” Gibbs had no idea if the police officer heard him as the screen turned black. His knees gave way and he landed on the floor.

Ducky helped him to his feet. “A second helicopter is standing by, so let us get going, Jethro. Anthony is awaiting us.” He guided Gibbs towards the door.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**Norfolk General Hospital: 10 hours later**

“Agent Gibbs?” A voice sounded at the door and Gibbs came to his feet. He clutched his empty coffee cup. “Any news?”

“My name is Doctor Lemay, and I’m Agent DiNozzo’s attending physician.” The chubby looking doctor indicated to the chairs behind them. “Let’s have a seat and I tell you what’s going on.”

Gibbs found himself nodding as he took the offered chair. He looked around, feeling a bit dazed. Ducky wasn’t there. The older man had to go back to D.C. as one of the teams picked up a case with multiple victims and his assistance was required. “English, doctor Lemay, please.”

The doctor chuckled. “I got a call from Doctor Mallard, he explained to me that I have to use layman’s terms when I spoke to you.”

Gibbs felt gratitude towards his friend. “Okay, how’s Tony doing?”

Doctor Lemay took a deep breath. “Let me start off by saying he’s a very lucky man to be alive. How he was able to stay not only conscious, but also coherent, is a miracle on its own. He was shot three times. Because of this alone, he’s in ICU, where I want to keep him for at least the next forty-eight to seventy-two hours. Now, the first gunshot was a through and through of the left upper thigh. Agent DiNozzo used his belt as a tourniquet and that helped to slow the bleeding down. He will not be allowed to place any weight on that leg for at least the next two weeks. The second wound was a bit more complicated as it went through his left shoulder and caused some considerable damage to the shoulder, including shattering the scapula and clavicle bones. Normally we would leave it to heal on its own, but in this instance, we had to remove the shattered bone and we fixed it up with a titanium plate and pins. He will have to wear a sling for about six weeks and the injury would heal within two to three months’ time. He will regain full usage of his arm, but he needs to take it easy, especially in the beginning. The last gunshot wound was the most problematic. It was extremely close to the previous wound. This time around it was not only the already fractured rib that suffered damage, but another four ribs as well. The saving grace here was the fact that none of them pierced his lungs, but with his one lung already compromised these extra four broken ribs will cause him to be more susceptible to infections of the lung. He will have trouble breathing for the next few weeks and he will be in pain. The bullet then ricocheted from the one rib and nicked the left kidney and caused damage to the spleen. We fixed the kidney and are keeping a close look on its functioning. The spleen was too damaged and we had to remove it. He lost a fair volume of blood and we’ve given him three units to replenish it. At this stage he’s also on a ventilator, but that’s more of an attempt to give his body a chance to heal. I don’t foresee him being on the ventilator for very long.”

“Is he awake?”

“Not at the moment. He’s still recovering from the anesthetics, but we will keep him lightly sedated, just to keep him calm and still. I would’ve liked to keep him under sedation for longer, but as he also suffered a concussion, although it’s very mild and we’re are keeping an eye on that, it’s not a good idea to sedate him with a head injury.”

“May I see him?” There were other questions that milled around in his head, but at the moment they could wait. He first needed to see Tony for himself.

“Already arranged. I need to check on him myself so you can come with me. If you’ve got any questions later, please, don’t hesitate to let the nursing staff contact me.” Doctor Lemay came to his feet and made his way to the elevator to take Gibbs to Tony’s room.

**///\\\\\///\\\\\///\\\\\**

Gibbs had to use his patience to wait outside Tony’s room for Doctor Lemay to finish with his examination before he was allowed entry into the room. His knees grew weak when he first laid eyes on the man he loved like no one else in life. “Tony,” he gasped the word out and with two strides he stood next to the bed. He reached out and gently took Tony’s hand in his. It felt cold to the touch and his gaze lingered on the screen that showed all of Tony’s vitals. His temperature was on the low side and he reached for the call button even if the doctor just left the room. Tony was always cold after surgery. He would not let him catch a cold as well.

A few seconds later a nurse appeared and she smiled at him. “Good morning, Agent Gibbs. My name is Melany and I will be Agent DiNozzo’s attending nurse for this shift.”

Gibbs nodded. “He needs an extra blanket. His body temperature always goes down after receiving general anesthetics. Please,” Gibbs added at the end.

Melany smiled. “I’ll bring one right over. Anything else?”

“No, thank you.” Gibbs pulled the chair closer to the bed. “Nurse Melany?” He spoke up before she could leave the room.

“Agent Gibbs?”

“Coffee, where can I get coffee?” He held out the empty cup he clutched in his hand.

“The cafeteria down in the lobby serves some of the good stuff, if you can believe that. If you want something frothy, you’ll have to go down the block. On the corner there’s a coffee shop that does the more fancy stuff.”

“Frothy?” Gibbs frowned. “I don’t even want to know what that means. I just need real coffee, plain coffee.”

“Then the coffee in the cafeteria will be to your liking. One of my colleagues will be heading down in a few minutes, would you like her to bring you a cup?”

“Two, please.”

Melany nodded. “Two cups of coffee coming right up.” She exited the room and when she came back a few minutes later she had the blanket and Gibbs’ coffee.

“Thank you,” Gibbs grunted after he took his first sip. He managed not to groan out of pleasure. It was real coffee.

“Told you it’s good.” Melany straightened the blanket over Tony’s still form. She took in Gibbs’ hand who curled around her patient’s hand again. “If you don’t mind me asking, how long have you been together?”

We’ve been working together for almost sixteen years and have been together for three years. Almost four.”

“That’s wonderful.” She indicated with her head to the nurses’ station across Tony’s room. “Don’t hesitate to press the button if you need us, Agent Gibbs.”

“Thank you, Melany.” Gibbs managed to smile at her before she exited the room. He looked down at Tony. “You would like her, she’s good.” Gibbs leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. He would get in contact with Vance later to hear what they got out of Parsons. At this moment, he didn’t care about the man. He was right where he was needed and had no plans in going anywhere soon. Not without Tony at his side in any case.

**///\\\\\///\\\\\///\\\\\**

**Norfolk General Hospital: 2 weeks later**

“You’re a worse patient than me, DiNozzo.” Gibbs grumbled under his breath as he tried to reign in his own temper.

“I didn’t ask for your help, Gibbs. I can do it myself.” Tony replied hotheaded. His body throbbed, but he was tired of not being able to do things for himself.

“No you cannot, stop being so stubborn and let me help you.” Gibbs didn’t want to snap, but Tony had tested his patience for far too long.

“I think it’s time you get some sleep, Jethro.” Ducky spoke up where he stood in the door. “And by that I mean you need to get out of here, go home and sleep at least for eight hours straight.”

Gibbs frowned. “And what about, Tony?”

“Don’t worry about Anthony, Jethro. The medical personnel are very competent, you know that for yourself. He will be all right.”

“I can do it by myself,” Tony spoke up again. He frowned when Ducky laughed at him. “What’s so funny, Ducky?”

“Funny? No, my dear, not so much funny as the fact that you are under the impression that you are indeed able to do things for yourself. I have bad news for you there, Anthony. You cannot do it yourself. And, should you intend to do that, you will in all likelihood slip, fall and break more than just a couple of ribs. No, instead Jethro will go home since he has been here at your side for the past two weeks and I will stay here and look after you.”

Gibbs managed to hide his smile as he saw the look on Tony’s face at Ducky’s words. “I’ll get some shut eye in the chair, Ducky. There’s no need for me to go home, or for you to stay and remain in my place.”

Ducky looked over the rim of his glasses to his friend. “It seems that like Anthony, Jethro, you are also under the impression that this is a suggestion. In fact, it is not. You will go home. You will get some sleep and you will only return here after that.” He turned his body more towards Gibbs. “Director Vance also indicated that he wanted a word or two with you. My suggestion is that you phone him now, gather your stuff and then head on home. I came with one of the office sedans so you can take it back to NCIS while I remain here.”

Gibbs opened his mouth, but Ducky shook his head. “Phone the Director, Agent Gibbs.” He made sure his tone remained formal. Gibbs had to understand that it was not a mere suggestion.

Gibbs grabbed his phone and stormed out of the room. He didn’t even greet Melany when he stormed past here.

Ducky turned his attention back to the younger man in the bed. “You wanted to eat by yourself?”

“Yes, Ducky.” Tony smiled. It would be easier to convince Ducky that he could eat by himself than what it would be to convince Gibbs of the same task.

“Very well,” Ducky pushed the roll-away trolley closer. “Here you go.” He lifted the lid from the plate. “Looks really good.” Ducky smiled and then stepped away from the bed. He took Gibbs’ seat. “Enjoy.” Ducky picked up the newspaper and started paging through it.

Tony looked at the plate of food. It did indeed look appetizing. There was a side salad, some steamed vegetables and a piece of rack of lamb. His mouth watered. Tony reached for his fork and started eating the salad and the vegetables, he wanted to leave the meat for last. He poked at the meat to get it on the fork, but found it to be too big to eat like that. He managed to get it off the fork and one handedly turned it on its side. He tried to cut through the meat with his fork, but it didn’t work. Tony placed his fork down and picked up the knife. He tried to cut the meat, but with nothing holding the rack of lamb steady, he failed to cut it. Tony swallowed the whine that threatened to come out of his throat. He was now left with two choices. One, pick up the meat and eat it with his hand, or accept defeat and ask for help. As he did not want anyone seeing him eating rack of lamb with his hands, he only had one option left. Tony sighed. “Ducky?”

Ducky gently folded the paper and then came to his feet. “What can I do for you, Anthony?”

Tony closed his eyes. “Please, cut the meat for me.”

“With pleasure.” Ducky quickly cuts the meat and stepped back. “You see. You did eat on your own and you asked for help. It’s not that difficult, Anthony.”

Tony decided to remain silent. He wasn’t in a mood to admit defeat – not now in any case.

**///\\\\\///\\\\\///\\\\\**

Ducky smiled when Tony’s eyes closed and remained closed. He quietly stood up and pushed the trolley away from the bed. He used the remote to lower Tony’s bed just that bit more and then took his own seat. Ducky chuckled when his phone vibrated in his pocket and he looked at the screen. It seemed like Gibbs did some low flying again as he already reached home in just over three hours. Ducky stood up again and moved out of the room. He quickly dialed Jethro’s number. “You do realize that he will be all right if you are not with him, Jethro? He managed to eat and asked for help without either of us coming to blows over it.”

He listened to Jethro’s response and his shoulders stiffened. “I was not aware of that, Jethro. You should know that if I was aware, I would have informed you. I do however agree that it would be pertinent for you to be present during such an interview and I will, with the help of the nursing staff if need be, run interference for as long as possible. You do what you need to do at the office, we will be all right until then.” Ducky greeted Jethro as the other man ended the call and returned to the room. He looked at the sleeping younger man. “It seems like Mister Parsons legal counsel is trying some funny business, but do not worry, our Jethro found out about it and I dare say if he had his way a few heads will roll tomorrow.” Ducky took his chair again. “I do think tomorrow will be an interesting day. I wonder if Mister Parsons’ legal team will be ready for what would come tomorrow if they tried to take you and Jethro on at the same time.” Ducky chuckled again and grabbed the thick novel he was reading.

**///\\\\\///\\\\\///\\\\\**

**NCIS HQ: Following morning**

Gibbs stared out in front of him as the team of IA and two men in fancy suits entered the conference room. He almost smiled as the suits nearly tripped over their feet when they saw he wasn’t alone. To his left sat Director Vance and to his right sat Rear Admiral A.J. Chegwidden, and on his right sat Commander Harmon Rabb. Not giving them a moment to regain their footing, Gibbs spoke up first. 

“I didn’t know it was procedural for IA to involve or even allow private counsel during investigations.”

“You do realize, Agent Gibbs that this is more than an IA investigation.” The suit to the left spoke up even before Agent Ferris, who was from IA could do so.

“And you do realize that I don’t give a damn.” Gibbs replied. He focused on Agent Ferris. He never had a problem with the man before and knew that he wasn’t the one who orchestrated this whole circus. “I am invoking my right to have legal counsel present during this interview.”

“It’s noted, Agent Gibbs.” Agent Ferris took a seat across the table from Gibbs. “I will try and be as quick as possible.”

“Oh no, Agent Ferris. Do not make a promise like that. We will be busy for a number of hours today.” Suit one spoke up again while suit two nodded in agreement.

Gibbs paid them no attention. “Thank you.” He leaned back in his chair.

Agent Ferris started the interview and placed all parties on record. He looked annoyed when he got interrupted by suit one. He noticed Gibbs shaking his head so he remained quiet. The man was mid-sentence when the Admiral spoke up.

“Since this is a matter which involves JAG, and also an ongoing investigation, this _interview_ is premature. It is established law that no private prosecution may be instituted until the case has run its course through the justice system. Until then, our client does not have to answer any of your questions. Should you want to interview Agent Gibbs as a witness prior to your client’s trial on the charges he is facing, you’re free to contact us and we’ll set it up.”

Suit two opened his mouth, but Commander Rabb beat him to the punch. He pushed some papers across the table. “This is a restraining order against your client, his family and any person or employee of your legal firm. It states very clearly that any and all contact to Agent Gibbs and Agent DiNozzo are prohibited unless it’s done through myself or Lt. Roberts. Should you contact either of them personally this order will be enforced.”

“This is utter nonsense. We have a right to contact any person.” Suit two sprung up from his seat.

“Yes, you do. But you’ve got no right to harass us.” Gibbs leaned forward.

“You’ve got no such proof.” Suit one sneered.

Gibbs reached into his pocket and pulled out two phones. “This is mine.” He pushed it closer. “Since yesterday evening I’ve received twenty-three phone calls from different numbers, all traced to your firm. This is Agent DiNozzo’s phone. Sixty-two calls. I’ve listened to some of the messages left. Threatening him with civil suits, making sure that if he doesn’t negotiate with you in a settlement agreement, you will take every last cent he owns.” He tapped on the phone. “That is harassment and stalking.”

“We’ve already contacted the police and opened a case. You will find a number of officers at your office waiting to talk to you.” Chegwidden came to his feet. “I think this meeting is adjourned.” He didn’t wait for a response but picked up the file in front of him and made his way over to the door.

They all left the conference room, leaving the two suits alone inside. “I’m sorry about this.” Ferris spoke up the moment they stood outside the room.

“Not your fault, Agent Ferris.” Vance spoke up for the first time. “I’ve already started an investigation in regards to this. I will not let IA be used by any member of this agency for personal vendettas or gain.” He indicated to Gibbs. “I know Agent Gibbs indicated that he is willing to talk to you at any time.”

Ferris shook his head. “I see no reason to talk to Gibbs, Director Vance. I will have to speak to Agent DiNozzo later on, but that will be a mere formality due to the fact that I don’t see any other conclusion reached, except that Agent DiNozzo acted within the boundaries of his duties when he apprehended, subsequently shot and arrested probationary agent Parsons.” He looked at his watch. “If you will all excuse me, I do have some real interviews to conduct.” With a nod of the head, he left the rest of the men standing outside as he hurried down the corridor.

“I also need to get going.” Gibbs started to move away. Although they took less time to get the façade over with than what he thought it would take, he still had to drive back to Norfolk. He could only hope that he would still be in time.

“Commander Rabb will be accompanying you, Jethro.” Chegwidden spoke up. He shook his head when he saw his friend wanted to object. “No, Gunnery Sergeant Gibbs that was not a suggestion. Besides, Commander Rabb has a pilot’s license and is eager to use it.”

Gibbs smiled from ear to ear. “Thank you, AJ.” He and Rabb turned and headed towards the stairs. It now made sense on why Chegwidden insisted on flying to NCIS, his old friend had planned this all along.

**///\\\\\///\\\\\///\\\\\**

**Norfolk General Hospital**

The raised voices coming from Tony’s room had Gibbs lengthening his stride. By the time he reached the door, he could clearly make out Tony’s voice and by the words Tony used, it was clear that Tony pissed. Gibbs pushed the door open, with Commander Rabb right on his heels.

The scene that greeted them can be described as one of total chaos. Tony was halfway out of bed, while Ducky held on to him, clearly in an attempt to get Tony not to get out of bed completely. Doctor Lemay stood at the end of the bed and his color was a deep red. It was however not directed towards Tony, but rather toward another pair of suits that stood next to the window. They were both smirking.

“It seems like you really are dumb,” Rabb spoke up first. He closed the distance between him and the two men at the window. It was his turn to grin when he saw how they blanched at the sight of him and Gibbs. Clearly, they didn’t expect them to turn up here so quickly. They thought they would have more time to play their games. Rabb pulled a folded paper out of his breast pocket. “Now, this was already served on the first pair of suits at NCIS, as well as at your office over an hour ago. The fact that you don’t seem impressed to find myself and Agent Gibbs here, tells me your office informed you of this piece of paper, but instead of adhering to the provisions of this order you decided to go ahead and proceed with your games.” Rabb turned to the doctor. “Will you please phone security and the police. I want these men arrested. They are contravening a direct court order.”

“I will do that with pleasure,” Doctor Lemay responded. “Get out of this room, now.” He pulled himself to his full height. “I will make sure you never set foot inside this hospital again.” He turned to Tony. “You, get back into bed. You’re still not allowed to place any weight on that leg of yours and then I’m not even talking about your shoulder or side.” He turned again. “Agent Gibbs, make sure he does what I told him to do. I’ve got some calls to make. I always wanted to see someone get thrown out of a hospital.”

The two lawyers wanted to speak up, but a glare from Gibbs had them exiting the room in a hurry. Only Tony, Ducky, Commander Rabb and Gibbs remained.

“Well, my dear Anthony, you heard what Doctor Lemay said. Let us get you back in bed.” He reached out to help Tony, when a hand stopped him. He looked up and smiled. Ducky took a step back.

“Let me help you,” Gibbs assisted Tony back in bed and frowned when he noticed how hard Tony shook. “You all right?”

Tony nodded. “I was out of bed for too long.” He took a deep breath. “I feel like a day old puppy.”

Gibbs laughed. “Want some water?” He indicated to the glass that stood next to the bed. It seemed like the sleep he got in and the time he spent away from Tony did them both good. The tension between them had disappeared.

“Please,” Tony accepted the glass gratefully and quenched his thirst. He handed the glass back to Gibbs’ waiting hands. “Commander Rabb, it’s been a while.” He managed to keep his face straight as he looked at his friend.

“If you mean since the last time I kicked your ass on the court, then yes, it has been.” Rabb stepped closer to the bed. “Good to see you again, Tony. You really gave us all a scare.”

Tony smiled. “I can promise you that wasn’t the intention.” He turned his head to the man next to him. “You’ve made a proper entrance. How did you know?”

Gibbs took a seat, but held onto Tony’s hand. “Started getting calls the moment I drove home after Ducky banished me here. Found out what was going on and called in the cavalry.”

“Do I want to know what they were planning?” Tony couldn’t stifle a yawn.

“Not really, just know that between Harm and AJ all has been taken care off.” Gibbs squeezed his hand. “All except for one thing.” He looked at the JAG lawyer.

“Yes,” Harm leaned against the bed. “We need your statement of what happened as soon as possible. I know you’re still recuperating, but the sooner we can get that, the better.”

Tony looked up to Gibbs. “You staying for this?”

“Not leaving you for a second.” Gibbs replied.

“Well then, I am going to retreat and get some tea. They do sell some of the tastiest tea I have had in a long time.” Ducky didn’t give anyone the change to respond, but just made his way out of the room. Before he closed the door, they could hear the lawyers arguing with someone. Doctor Lemay’s voice also sounded up.

“You ready?” Harm took out his phone and placed it on the push-away trolley. He noted the parties present and then indicated for Tony to start.

For a moment Tony had no idea on where to start. He was still hurt that everyone, including the man next to him was under the impression that he was barking up the wrong tree. It saddened him that they didn’t think he had something to go on. And as he told Gibbs before if it was his gut going off, they’d be working the case non-stop. It would’ve also meant that they could’ve caught Parsons sooner and he might not even have gotten shot.

“Tony?” Gibbs asked in concern.Tony shook his head. “I was just thinking, sorry.” He smiled and then cleared his throat. “Right, I finally made the connection. It was right in front of my eyes and I didn’t see it.” Tony explained.

“Parsons arriving at the warehouse with our three dead Marines.”

“Yes. When I realized that he had to have come with them, I knew I had to find the connection between either all of our dead Marines and Parsons, or at least one of them. Because all six were so hell bent on murdering the Director, I concluded that he had a link to all of them. I just had to find out what it was.”

“That’s why you went from the warehouse to the Base.”

“Yes. And I had an opportunity to go through the Marines’ personal files and that is when I noticed it. They were all raised in the system. All of them were raised in foster care. Five of them were all together at the same group home just before they turned eighteen. That is where they met up with Gunnery Sergeant Booth. He came out of the same system too and knew what they were going through. But, they were not the only ones that came out of the system. Our probationary agent Matthews Parsons also came through the system. In fact, he was best buddies with the five junior Marines.” Tony sighed. “Finally, I had something to indicate that there was something more to the story. I had to get more. Luckily for us, Parsons’ can’t keep his mouth shut when he panics.”

“How did he find you?” Rabb asked the question.

“Through McGee,” Gibbs supplied the answer. “When I couldn’t get hold of Tony, I instructed McGee to put a trace on Tony’s phone. McGee told Parsons to tell me where Tony was, except that he didn’t.

“Now, that was the first time when he panicked. He must’ve realized I was on to him and he came to the Base. When he met up with me, he tried to act as if there was nothing wrong, but by that time it was too late. I only had to find out the way. I have to say, I never thought it would be _that_ reason.”

“What reason?” Harm looked confused.

“Matthews Parsons had an unhealthy obsession over Gibbs. It all started because when Vance was busy lecturing the new Probies over their tardiness in coming into the office each morning, Gibbs walked by and told Vance that the only one out of the bunch who would make a decent agent out of the bunch was Parsons. That’s because since they all started Parsons was the only one who was early enough at the office to even beat Gibbs to it.”

Harm frowned. “Since when do you hand out compliments in any case, Gibbs?”

“Since I told him he should act more human sometimes.” Tony explained and reached out to squeeze Gibbs’ hand.

“If he had an obsession over Gibbs why take it out on the Director, why not go after you?”

Tony sighed. “Parsons would’ve made a good agent if he didn’t have a screw or six loose. He is nearly as good as McGee with computers, and he hacked into our records and found out that Vance had a problem with me. He then stupidly decided that if he could get rid of the director, Gibbs would become director, and he would worm his way in next to Gibbs which would make Gibbs kick me to the curb and they would live happily ever after.”

“How did he get through this psych evaluation?”

“With skillful manipulation. Ducky did a quick profile on him. He’s a psychopath.” Gibbs supplied the information to Harm.

“He also informed me with a broad smile on how he got his buddies to help out.” Tony shivered. After he got shot and managed to wound Parsons and get him under control, Parsons started to tell him everything. Tony had repeated his rights, but Parsons said he it didn’t matter. It was his story and he was going to tell it. “It seemed like there was a house father at the group home who loved to give special attention to those boys between ages eight and twelve. When Parsons was nine, he was at the group home for a few months after his foster family emigrated. It seems like this man turned his attention on Parsons. He didn’t say anything, but when he was back at the group home years later he nearly beat the guy nearly to death and he told his friends what happened. I don’t know if that part is really true as I haven’t had the chance to follow up on it. But, he then told them that Director Vance had sexually assaulted him. He convinced his friends that it would be better for the world to get rid of the director as soon as possible. But I do think he made out a convincing case to tell them that no one would believe him as Vance has always been a family man. He confirmed it was his decision to make it a drive by shooting. It was to make sure no one looked in their direction. Unfortunately, we didn’t fall for that and we found out about the stolen M16’s. Parsons quickly had to make a plan. He then decided to sacrifice his friends for his grand plan.”

“And he killed three of them in the warehouse and knew that between myself, Tony and Vance we’ll get rid of the others. In the end he killed another of his friends.” Gibbs sounded distraught.

“How did he know you had the director over at your home?”

Gibbs shrugged, but Tony smiled. “Vance’s jacket.”

“What?” Harm and Gibbs asked the question simultaneously.

“Ask McGee to check Vance’s jacket. It’s still in our guest room. I wouldn’t be surprised if he found a tracking chip in one of the pockets.” Seeing that Harm still looked confused, Tony continued. “On the day of the incident Vance attended a meeting with SecNav. Parsons managed to get assigned as a junior agent to see how those protection situations worked. He was in contact with the director the whole day. By that time, all of their plans would’ve been in place all ready. They just had to make sure Vance was at home. Since the probationary agents spent the week before this working various undercover situations, Parsons must’ve slipped one of the tracking chips out, and when they realized they didn’t kill him and Vance still had the jacket with him, they traced him to the first safe house. That jacket went from one safe house to the other and finally ended up at our home. That’s how they traced us there.”

“He almost gave himself away earlier, but I didn’t catch on to that.” Gibbs spoke out loud.

Tony shook his head. “When he became so excited about the SUV we picked up, I just thought he was eager. Not one of us could’ve realized what he was up to at that time.”

“If he grew up in foster care, where does the money for the retainer of lawyers he’s got?” Gibbs looked at Tony.

“Did I forget to mention? Parsons’ is married. To a very wealthy young lady who’s got so much money that she doesn’t know what to do with it.” Tony shrugged as the two men stared at him. “She phoned while we were at the base. He told me all about her.”

“He never mentioned he was married in his application.”

“There’s a few things he didn’t mention, Gibbs. But that’s not our problem.”

“Last question. How did you end up being shot?”

“Stupidity, bad luck, DiNozzo charm. Not exactly sure what I should call it.” Tony closed his eyes for a second. “By the time he found me on base, I had a basic idea of what he’d done. Unfortunately, there were too many people on base. Seems like it was open day or something like that. I couldn’t take the risk in taking out my weapon and arresting him. He never walked right next to me, always two steps in front. We reached his vehicle first and I suggested that we take it to where mine was parked. I wanted to use the opportunity inside the vehicle to arrest and contain him. But, then a group of young wannabe Marines passed through and he made a run for it. I had to follow.” Tony looked at Gibbs. “May I have some more water, please?”

Tony took his fill before he continued. “The first shot was the lucky one. He’d reached cover while I was still running after him and he got me in the shoulder. Luckily the left one.” Tony couldn’t help but to touch the shoulder. It was still swollen and it got iced several times a day. He wasn’t looking forward to physical therapy, he knew it was going to be a bitch.

“The second wound?” Harm inquired.

“There were a lot of people as I said before. After Parsons fired the first shot, they started panicking, running for cover. I tried to get people out of the way. There was a woman with a small boy. She tried to get him running, but for one or other reason he didn’t want anything to do with her. Parsons’ must’ve seen it. I saw him pointing his pistol in his direction. I was only a few yards from them. He looked me in the eye and grinned. I managed to dive and tackled the kid to the ground. I didn’t even realize I was shot until the mother started screaming about the blood. I had to leave them there, I don’t even know if he’s all right. I had to follow Parsons.”

Harm made a note. “I’ll check into this, but from what we’ve received no information from the local police that anyone else was shot.”

“Then I’m grateful.”

“The one through the leg?”

“Up close and personal.” Tony grinned. “I managed to make up ground. Parsons may be younger than me, but he’s not used to running full out over longer distances. He also tripped a few times as he continued to look behind him. I came close enough and tackled him. He lost the grip he had over his firearm, I kept the grip on mine.” Tony took a steady breath. “I was on top of him, and he started to scream for help. Most people have fled already, and those were still around, stayed well clear. He managed to pick up a rock and struck me on the side of the head. I lost my balance and he managed to get out from underneath me. I was still dazed when he reached for his firearm. I thought he was going to shoot me right there. I couldn’t shoot him back. My vision was blurred, I saw two of everything. Parsons’ laughed at me, told me to come and get him. He then shot me in the leg and took off running.” Tony started rubbing his thigh. “It was bleeding worse than the other two together. I knew I had to do something to stop the bleeding. I used my belt and then managed to get to my feet. I knew that should I not apprehend him, Gibbs would have my ass.” Tony smiled when Gibbs squeezed his hand.

“For one reason or another, Parsons decided that it was no longer necessary for him to run after he disappeared from my sight. I found him in what looked to be like a park, walking at a leisurely pace. I assume he wanted to act normally to blend in. A bit difficult to do if you’re walking with a fucking SIG pistol clutched in your hand. I called out, made sure to identify myself and when he turned and raised his weapon I shot him. He went down like a ton of bricks and I made it over to him, where I seized his weapon and proceeded to arrest him. It was only then that I realize I had no clue where we were anymore. Didn’t even know for how long I chased him. I cuffed his hands in front of his body, due to the shoulder wound. And then I called you.” Tony shook his head. “He then actually tried to get up from the ground while I was on the phone. It was then that I cuffed him to the streetlight.” Tony shrugged. “The rest you know.”

Harm nodded. “You did not shoot him without prior warning or introducing yourself?”

“No.”

“You did not shoot him while he was unarmed?”

“No.”

“Was there any other way for you to have taken Parsons in custody without using force?”

“No, he has already shot me three times. I know he was armed and he showed no hesitation in shooting me. For my own safety, as well as for the safety of all other people in the vicinity, I was left with only one option. I had to shoot him.”

Harm nodded. Picked up his phone and stopped the recording. “I’ve got everything I need for now. We will keep you up to date with how the case is going.” He reached out and shook Gibbs’ hand. He squeezed DiNozzo’s uninjured shoulder.

“Harm?” Tony spoke up. “Do you know how Parsons is doing? I never asked.”

“It was a through and through. He’s already released from hospital and locked up. He’s being detained without bail.”

“Thank you.”

“Thank you for the ride, Commander.” Gibbs and Tony looked on as their friend exited the room. Gibbs focused his attention on the man in the bed. “I owe you an apology. In fact the whole team owes you an apology.”

Tony wanted to respond, to tell Gibbs that it wasn’t necessary, but Gibbs leaned in and kissed him hard. It temporarily robbed him of his ability to speak.

“I know you were going to say, it’s not necessary, but it is. You made a remark the other day and you were right. If my gut told me that there was something amiss, I would’ve worked you and the team into the ground to get to the bottom of it. With you, we were all of the opinion that you were barking up the wrong tree. You have almost sixteen years of experience as a police officer, investigator and special agent. I shouldn’t have brushed that to the side. I should’ve listened to you. Not only as my second in command, but also as my partner. I am truly sorry.”

“It cannot happen again, Jethro.” Tony lowered his gaze. He had kept all of his emotions locked down, not wanting anyone to see how hurt he was with the brush off he’d received from them. Except for the fight he had with Gibbs no one else knew how he really felt. What bothered him more was the comments he heard in the passages, saying that he has lost his mind. He was doing his job. It looked like everyone else forgot about that.

“I agree. We will make sure it will not happen again. We will talk to Vance. This is something that needs to be addressed.”

Tony couldn’t help but to snort. “And do you think the Director will listen to you if he heard it came from me?” He sighed. “I don’t even know if I still have a job.”

“You definitely still have a job, DiNozzo and he will listen. When we found out where you were, it was Vance and McGee who stormed out first to get to you. You and Vance have to talk, but what I can tell you is that you’ll be surprised. He had a change of heart about you and not in a bad way.”

Tony looked skeptical and merely nodded. He was feeling tired and his body ached. Something on his face must’ve shown as Gibbs leaned in and kissed him again.

“Get some rest, we’ll talk about this later.”

“Are you staying?” His words were slurred and he tried to open his eyes which closed on their own.

“Not going anywhere, Tony. I’ve got your six.”

**///\\\\\///\\\\\///\\\\\**

**Gibbs/DiNozzo home: 1 month later**

Tony sighed as he lay back, he had a smile of satisfaction on his face. He looked on as his lover disappeared into the bathroom and came back with a cloth. Tony reached for the cloth, but Jethro batted his hand away. He looked on as the man he loved gently cleaned him up removing all of the evidence that they shared a mind blowing orgasm together. He yawned and attempted to swat the man next to him when he caught him laughing.

“Glad to see I still have what it takes to tire you out.”

Tony smiled. “The day you stop being able to do that, is the day you die.” He turned on his side and grabbed hold of the other man’s hand and pulled him down on the bed. He sighed as Jethro settled on top of him.

“I know you love cuddling, but Vance will be here in about an hour.” Gibbs moved and rested his weight on his arms.

Tony huffed. “And whose fault is that, Jethro?” He closed his eyes.

“I invited him. The two of you need to talk.” Gibbs poked his lover in the side. “He did ask that you make that pasta again.”

“At least that’s one thing he’s impressed about.” Tony snaked his arms around the man on top of him. He’d spread his legs and Jethro shifted so that he was on his knees, but still snug around him.

“I can promise you it’s more than your ability to make amazing pasta.” Gibbs leaned in and nipped at Tony’s bottom lip.

Tony remained silent. He was on medical leave since he got discharged. He was getting better day by day. Tony no longer needed to walk with a crutch and he had almost full range of movement in his shoulder. His ribs were giving him problems, refusing to grow on and it also had an influence on his lungs and his breathing. If things didn’t improve it could have an influence on his active agent status.

Jethro tapped him lightly on the forehead. “Don’t go there. You heard the doctor, you need to give your body the time to heal. Your ribs will heal, you must be patient.”

“As if you have patience.” Tony smiled as Gibbs gaped at him. “Yes, yes, I know. You’re a sniper, you’re the king of patience.”

“Tony,” Gibbs grumbled. “It will work out.”

Tony nodded. He had no words and was extremely grateful for all of the support Jethro has given him through this time. “Thank you.” He lifted his head and it was his turn to nip the other man’s lip playfully. “Well, if you want pasta, I need to get up. We need to shower as well.”

“Now I want to snuggle.” Gibbs rolled off Tony and made himself comfortable next to Tony on the bed. “When Leon leaves here tonight after you talked things through, I’ll give you the best blow job ever.”

Tony laughed and he hissed in pain as his ribs complained. “I’m so holding you to that. Although, it’s going to have to be something spectacular. The last time you went down on me, I couldn’t function properly for almost two hours.”

“Only two hours?” Jethro inquired with a smile. “It will have to be better than that.” Both men laughed out loud, Tony clutching his side again. “Let’s go and shower.” Jethro got up from their bed and pulled Tony to his feet. They entered the bathroom holding hands.

**///\\\\\///\\\\\///\\\\\**

Leon groaned out loud, not even bothering to hide the emotion as he took his first bite. The pasta even tasted better than the first time. “This is really good, Agent DiNozzo.”

“Thank you, Sir.” Tony replied politely.

“I didn’t ask before, is it a family recipe?”

Tony shook his head. “One of the cooks Senior employed was Italian. She’s the one who taught me how to cook. This pasta recipe was her favorite.”

Leon took another bite and they table became quiet again. Everyone concentrating on their plates. Finally, Leon pushed his plate away and sat back in his chair. “Thank you, DiNozzo, this was really superb.”

“Glad you enjoyed it.” Tony got to his feet, but stopped as Gibbs placed a hand on his. “Take it easy, I’ll clean.”

Tony wanted to object, but he knew that Gibbs wanted him to sit down and talk to Vance. He saw the look Gibbs gave him. The one who said _trust me_. Tony nodded and sat down again. “Thank you.”

When Gibbs gathered all of the plates, an uncomfortable silence settled between Tony and Vance. The only sounds that could be heard was Gibbs in the kitchen cleaning out the dishes. Tony shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He still had difficulty staying seated for long periods of time.

“Agent Dinozzo, Tony,” Vance spoke up. “I owe you an apology.” He lowered his head. “When Jackie died,” he cleared his throat. “When Jackie died it felt as if my whole word imploded around me. I didn’t understand, why her? Why me? I was livid and I had to get someone to blame. Henderson took his own life instead of facing the consequences of his actions, and there was no way that I could ever be angry at Jackie. That left only one option – you.”

Vance looked up from his hands. “I decided that since you’ve got that image going of being the class clown you were not really an agent. The fact that you were old school and not that clued up with the latest technology, made it easier for me to believe that you were useful. I ignored all of the years of experience you had, not only as a police officer and detective, but as an agent and as the best undercover agent in NCIS. I wanted to do everything in my power to get you kicked out of the agency. I was willing to take it so far as to make sure you never worked in law enforcement ever again.”

Leon cleared his throat. “Then the first attempt on my life happened and I immediately wondered who it could be. I am ashamed to say that one of my first suspects had been you. Since I hated you, I felt that you hated me and therefore you would do anything in your power to get rid of me.” Vance shook his head. “I learned that you were in a relationship with Gibbs and it made my day. I could finally get rid of you. But, in the meantime, you were the one who worked the hardest in finding who was responsible for the attacks. You did it while at the same time being my primary protection and not once did you complain or not handle yourself professionally. The snipes you took at me were because I verbally attacked you first. You got me out of the safehouse, you got me to safety, not once, but twice. You got shot guarding me. We all thought that the case was closed, but not you. You were the only one who believed there was still something missing. And you never gave up on finding out the truth. I am truly ashamed of my behavior. It is not the behavior of a federal agent, and definitely not the behavior of an agency Director. I have informed SecNav of my behavior. He has called for a formal inquiry and I am willing to resign if that is the recommendation or Davenport wished for it.”

Tony eyes had grown large at Vance’s last words. Never had he imagined that Vance would do something like that. He understood the man’s pain with the death of his wife, Jackie’s death had hit him hard as well. For a long time, he believed that he was at fault for her death. Even now, there were some days that he blamed himself for not being there. For listening to her. For not following up on Henderson. For not doing anything.

Vance looked on as different emotions played across DiNozzo’s face. “You still blame yourself.” Vance shook his head. “No, DiNozzo, no. You were not to blame. Henderson killed my wife. Not you. Just as I have no right to blame you for her death, you’ve got no right to blame yourself for her death.”

Tony looked down. It was hard for him to talk about this. For so long he bottled everything up inside of him. He never thought that Vance would forgive him. “I am truly sorry that she died, Director Vance. If I could, I would take her place right now, without hesitating. She didn’t deserve to die.”

“And neither do you.” Vance spoke up. Gibbs entered the room and hunkered down next to DiNozzo’s chair. He looked on as Gibbs said something to Tony. His words so soft that although he was seated across from DiNozzo he couldn’t hear what Gibbs said. DiNozzo nodded at his words, but didn’t’ lift his head. For a long time Tony sat with his head bowed, Gibbs hunkered next to him before finally Tony looked up and Gibbs came to his feet. Without hesitating Gibbs leaned in and kissed Tony full on the mouth. When he moved away, he had a smile on his face and Tony smiled too.

“I don’t want you to resign.” Tony looked at Vance. “You’re an asset to NCIS and it will be an honor to serve under you. It will take time for us to build up a trust relationship, but it will happen. I want to see it happen.” A smile appeared on his face. “There is also a personal reason for me to want you to remain director.”

Vance frowned. “And what is that, Agent DiNozzo?”

“I don’t think I’ll survive it if Jethro needs to train a new director in his ways.”

Leon burst out laughing even as the hard slap that connected to the back of Tony’s head could be heard. Tony squeaked and rubbed the back of his head. He also laughed and Gibbs smiled. He leaned down and kiss Tony again.

“Love you, Tony.”

“Love you more, Jethro.”

**The End**


End file.
